


Frozen 3: Ashes

by superkoola



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superkoola/pseuds/superkoola
Summary: Queen Anna was wondering about having a child. So, she went to an orphanage to adopt one. While visiting, one boy caught Anna's interest, and she wondered if he was, in any way, like Elsa before the Eternal Winter. As a result, she took him in, wanting to help him the same way. However, the boy has fire powers and a dark past. In addition, he claimed that he was not born with this power and that someone is after him to remove this essence so as to awaken the fire god, Surt. Can the sisters help control or remove his powers in time, before the fire god awakens and turns the Earth into an eternal hell-hole?
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna & Olaf (Disney), Anna & Original Child Characters(s), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa & Original Child Character(s), Kristoff & Sven (Disney: Frozen), Olaf & Original Child Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue: Keep it Hidden

Arendelle; a prosperous kingdom near the waterways, home to a wonderful queen, named Anna! A few months ago, the former queen and her older sister, Elsa, left to stay with a group of people called the Northuldra, located in the Enchanted Forest, to act as their protector as the fifth spirit of the natural elements. Thus, Anna was left to be the queen of her kingdom.

It has been over five months since the sisters came back from freeing the Enchanted Forest from the curse, and things are mostly back to normal. Anna seems to be ruling well, and Elsa frequently visits Arendelle to have fun with those she loves the most (as well as checking to see if Anna's handling her position well).

All in all, things are going very well in the kingdom for the queen and the inhabitants.

For one individual…well, let's say that in his world of darkness, a light will shine upon his way.

* * *

There is an orphanage near the outskirts of the kingdom. It is a usual orphanage filled with many kids of various ages. Most of them are very playful and like to be out in the open…except for one.

In one room, there is a small boy around the age of 7. He has short, bright red hair with red eyes. He is removing a pair of leather gloves from his hands, and he has a small smile on his face.

"Okay…now, let me try this again…" he whispered as he got his hands ready. Wiggling his fingers, he tensed his left hand onto the floor.

Immediately, small doses of fire streamed out from his hand and gently moved his hand in a circle. He moved his right hand, and more fire spewed out. The boy grew a smile as a shape began to form.

"Yes…come on; I'm so close!" he muttered to herself as the shape of a quadrupled figurine begins to form.

"Carolus?" asked a voice. The boy, Carolus, gasped and pulled his hands away, and immediately, the figure dissipated, leaving only a small trace of flames on the floor. He turned around, seeing a middle-aged woman looking at him with concern.

"I…I was…trying to make a friend…" he whimpered, clasping his hands together and holding them behind his back, looking on the floor with shame. The other woman sighed and shook her head.

"Oh, Carolus. You know that you should keep your fire powers in check." she said as she approached him, putting out the fire with her feet. Carolus looked at the flames, feeling disappointed.

"Miss Bonita, I'm sorry. I was…I was trying to make a friend. Just like Elsa…" he replied, looking at her with a pleading look. Miss Bonita nodded and knelt to the floor.

"I know, sweet-pea. But…you're not like her. You have fire powers. Elsa has ice powers." she said, getting his gloves and taking his left hand.

"We've talked about this; fire is more dangerous than ice. Ice freezes everything, but we can rebuild. But fire destroys everything, ruining beyond repair. I know you're better than this, child." she said as she placed the gloves back on. Carolus nodded.

"I know…" he whimpered. Miss Bonita looked at him as she was finishing up putting his gloves back on and gently cupped his left cheek.

"It may seem like I'm saying this to degrade you, but I'm not. I'm saying this because I care about you. I don't want the world to fear you as a monster the way Arendelle citizens feared Elsa when the Eternal Winter hits. Remember the last place you stayed before you came here?" she asked.

Carolus stared and bit his lower lip as he remembered the screams of various people, accompanied by the cracking of wood from burning flames. Carolus just gulped and shivered for a moment. Miss Bonita just pulled him into a hug and gently caressed his back.

"I…I didn't mean to burn that place. I just…" he whimpered out, tears threatening to spill out. Miss Bonita nodded.

"I know, sweetie. But that's over now. Now, you know of what will happen if you don't have your gloves on." she assured with a soft smile. Carolus looked at her and nodded…even though it didn't make him feel better.

After a while of hugging, they pulled back, and Miss Bonita smiled.

"Now, I've contacted Queen Anna to visit the children, and she is coming over to visit. I expect you to be on your best behavior. That means be nice, be considerate, and, most importantly…keep these gloves on." she said, gesturing to his hands. Carolus looked at his hands and nodded.

"Okay, Miss Bonita." he replied. Miss Bonita smiled in satisfaction.

"Good. Now, get yourself ready. She should be here in about half an hour." she instructed as she stood up and walked away, leaving Carolus alone.

Carolus sighed to himself in sadness and looked at his hands. He clasped his hands together and pouted.

"I wish…I wish my fire powers are under control. I don't…I don't want Queen Anna or her sister to cut my head off…" he whimpered, hands clenching into fists before gulping. He then wiped his eyes and stood up, looking at the spot where his quadrupled 'friend' was to be. After staring at the small black spots, he walked off, not wanting to look at it anymore.

An important leader is on her way for the children…maybe things won't be so bad after all…

* * *

**AN: Hey, everyone, superkoola here!**

**My first ever Frozen story! And immediately after I saw Frozen 2. I love the movie, just as much as the first one. Maybe, even a little more than the first one!**

**I wanted to make a story like this for a LONG time, but I never really have been motivated to do so until seeing Frozen 2. Like many others, my OC will be a child with fire powers, but I want this one to be different from the others. I want his powers to be a legitimate concern and a puzzle for Anna and Elsa to solve with some difficulty.**

**That's…all I have to say for right now. Hope you enjoy this, please be respectful if you disagree, and stick around for more!**


	2. Chapter 1: First Meeting

For Queen Anna, today couldn't come any faster!

Earlier this week, she had just gotten a letter from the headmistress of the orphanage, Miss Bonita, for a special visit because the children wanted to see the new queen. She thus made arrangements to visit the children in the orphanage. To the headmistress of the orphanage, Miss Bonita, it was a simple visit to see the children, and maybe have them ask about herself and her sister, Elsa.

* * *

Right now, she was walking along the streets with her best friend, Olaf. Olaf, like her, is also ecstatic upon visiting the children. He enjoys visiting the children, and they enjoy playing with a living, breathing snowman as well.

"I can't wait to play with the children again!" Olaf exclaimed in excitement. Anna looked at him and nodded. Then, Olaf raised a brow as a quick question came into his mind.

"Wait a second; where's Kristoff?" he asked. Anna gave a warm smile as she explained.

"Kristoff couldn't make it because he has to help harvest more ice." she said. Olaf looked confused for a moment before he raised both brows and widened his eyes in realization.

"Ooh, ooh! Are you planning on adopting a child?!" he asked with his big, goofy smile. Anna froze for a moment, before turning down.

"Uh...I don't think so, Olaf. My wedding for Kristoff is only a few months away. I don't know if I'm planning for a daughter OR a son." she explained, frowning a bit. Olaf raised a brow.

"What's wrong with having a sun?" he asked, pointing to the sun above with a grin. Anna followed his gaze and looked at him, confused for a moment before giggling. Even though Olaf has matured, Olaf always brings a smile out of her, teasing her every now and them.

"Not THAT sun, Olaf. I'm talking about having a boy." she corrected. Olaf chuckled teasingly and then raised a brow again.

"Oh…well then, what's wrong with a boy?" he asked again. Anna shook her head.

"Nothing. I don't think I'm ready for a son." Anna admitted, scratching the back of her head (while being mindful of the hair bun she did before leaving). Olaf titled his head.

"Why; you think he'll become like Hans?" he asked. Anna slightly flinched at the mention of Hans. She wanted to deny this, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt dread run across her body. Given the fact that she is a queen, she has to deal with various tasks, such as trade deals, preparing for multiple activities for Arendelle, and _other_ duties a Queen must do. That PLUS plans for a wedding with Kristoff and having to care for Olaf _without_ Elsa, would leave her pretty busy. With all that, if she were to have a boy, then…

"Phew…let's just wait and see." Anna said as they walked forward. Noticing her tense body, Olaf smiled and approached her, hugging her legs.

"Aw, don't worry, Anna. I know you can do this. If you can survive climbing a mountain, enduring a frozen heart, narrowly escaping your ex-boyfriend's sword, and having to make peace with the elements in the Enchanted Forest, I'm sure you'll care for a child." he comforted, looking at Anna with a smile. Anna smiled at Olaf's assurance and hugged him back.

"Thanks, Olaf. I feel a little better now." she replied softly. The two of them remained hugging each other for a while before eventually pulled back.

"Okay…I think I'm good now. Let's get going." she declared before they continued walking towards the orphanage.

* * *

At last, they have arrived at the orphanage. Around this time, various kids are already outside, playing with one another. Olaf got excited and was the first one to rush through the gates.

"Hey, everyone!" he said cheerfully. The other kids turned to him, and the younger ones squealed in excitement and rushed over to him, hugging him.

"Aww. You guys miss us already?" asked Olaf with a chuckle, and the younger kids immediately took him away to play their games. Anna saw this and couldn't help but smile at seeing such a beautiful sight.

"Oh, your majesty! You're here!" a voice called out. Anna turned her head in the direction of the voice and gave a big smile.

"Hello, there! Are you the uh, head of this place?" she asked as Miss Bonita walked out of the building and approached her. Miss Bonita then bowed down to her, as it was an appropriate way to address royalty.

"That's me! So glad to know that you've accepted my invitation." she complimented. Anna nodded.

"It was nothing. I don't have much 'queenie duties' for today, so I've got the day for myself!" she beamed. After that, many of the children, who have heard the conversation from earlier, approached Queen Anna and practically dragged her away to play. Miss Bonita tried to get them in order, but they were too ecstatic. Upon realizing that they won't do anything too rash, she decided just to let them be.

As she stared at the children playing with Anna and Olaf, Miss Bonita frowned a bit, a small feeling of worry in her mind.

She told Carolus that she would be here and that he can come out and play, as long as he conceals his powers out of fear of being retaliated against. However, she can't find Carolus anywhere outside.

" _He's probably inside."_ she thought to himself with a sigh. So, she turned around and walked back inside to find him.

Once she arrived at Carolus's room, she turned towards the bed, and…there he was, rubbing his eyes. He still kept a frown on his face.

"Carolus?" she asked. Carolus stopped and moved his hands away to look at her.

"Oh, hi, Miss Bonita." he greeted. Miss Bonita approached him and sat down next to him.

"Queen Anna's here. You should be outside with her and the others." she said with a smile. Carolus sat up and approached her.

"I…I don't know if I can. I'm…still a bit too scared to go and meet her." he explained, looking at his gloved hands. Miss Bonita nodded.

"I know, sweet pea. But remember what I said; keep these on, and you'll be fine." she assured softly. Carolus frowned, but he knew that Miss Bonita isn't going to let this go. So, in defeat, he hopped out of bed and looked at her.

"Can you come with me?" he asked. Miss Bonita nodded as she grasped his shoulders.

"Come on. Let's meet her. Things are going to be alright." she cooed softly, just before she gently guided him out of the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, back outside, many of the kids played with the two guests. The children with Olaf, as usual, would place some of their decorations (which consist of pebbles, leaves, and occasional crystals) on Olaf's body, which he didn't mind. The children with Anna are playing with their dolls, and occasionally having tickle fights.

Anna enjoyed being in the company of these children. They were sweet and yet polite. However, for some reason…neither of them particularly stood out from the rest. Neither of them have a particular spark that makes her want to adopt just yet.

Then, Miss Bonita's voice came up from behind her.

"I believe someone else wants to join you." she said. Once she heard this, the children turned to the direction, and gasped, pulling away in fright. Anna turned to them, confused as to why they acted like that. However, she then turned to Miss Bonita and saw a peculiar boy looking at her.

He has short, bright red hair with red eyes, and is wearing leather gloves on his hands. Anna looked at him and gave a warm smile.

"Hi there, little one. Who are you?" she asked warmly. Carolus stared and analyzed her for a while, hands clasped together tightly.

She didn't seem to be threatening for now. Looking into her eyes, he didn't feel any hostility, resentment, anger…almost no negative emotions. It was just nothing but pure kindness and warmth. With a gulp, plus with Miss Bonita gently squeezing his shoulders, Carolus opened his mouth to speak.

"M-My name is Carolus. I-It's nice to meet you, y-your highness."

Anna, though a bit taken aback by the silence beforehand, kept her smile.

"Hi, Carolus. It's nice to meet you, too. I like your hair." she said, hand reaching out to gently caress it. Carolus, however, stepped back in fear. Anna looked at him in concern. Miss Bonita shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Queen Anna. He's just very scared." she explained, gently caressing his hair. Anna frowned.

"Why? I won't hurt him." she explained before looking at Carolus.

"He's a monster!" one of the children from behind Anna called out. Anna turned to the kids, who were huddled up behind her. Another child, an eight-year-old boy, spoke up as well.

"Be careful, your highness. He'll burn you!"

Another child, a ten-year-old girl, added in.

"He destroyed my toy!"

"He's scary!"

Before long, most of the children were practically shouting about the things he has done. Carolus stepped back further into Miss Bonita. Anna and Miss Bonita looked at each other, and then at Carolus.

"It was…they were all accidents…" he whimpered out. Seeing this made Anna's heart drop. She knew that this couldn't keep going. Thankfully for her, Miss Bonita knew what she was thinking, and quickly stepped in.

"Kids! What is the matter with you?! Carolus said he was sorry for what he did. And you still treat him like he's a disease! This is not how I taught you kids to behave." she scolded. Most of the other kids flinched at her tone, but one of the kids stood firm.

"But isn't that true?! Isn't that exactly why he's here in the first place? His old place burned down! He needs to know that he is not welcome here, and you are NOT helping!" he shouted, pointing rudely at Carolus.

That stung Carolus in the heart, and he bit his lip. Without thinking, he dashed away from Miss Bonita and back inside. Anna and Miss Bonita stared at where Carolus went and turned towards the kids with heated glares. The other kids cowered in fear, clutching onto one another. Anna then stood up and stared down at him.

"I must say, I am VERY disgusted with your behavior. I'm not sure what you guys mean by 'burning things down', but even if he IS different, that is NO excuse to treat other kids like that!" she scolded.

The kids flinched and looked down with guilt. Anna took in a breath, and sighed, before turning to Miss Bonita, who flinched at her gaze.

"Has it always been like this?" she asked. Miss Bonita rubbed the back of her head and gulped.

"Um…y-yes, but I've been trying to fix this issue." she stammered. Anna crossed her arms and raised a brow.

"Doesn't seem to be working." she muttered before looking at the direction Carolus went. With a sigh, she began to walk towards the door.

"Where is his room? I'm going to talk to him." she instructed. Miss Bonita frantically followed after her.

"I-It's at the second floor, first door to the right. Your majesty, I'm imploring you to consider your decision for doing this." she said. Anna stopped for a moment and stared at her.

"I know what I'm doing. That boy…he's not a monster in my eyes." she said, before stomping away. Miss Bonita sighed to herself and looked at the ground, clasping her hands in concern. From behind, she heard one of the kids call out,

"Should we call for a funeral arrangement?"

* * *

Back inside his room, Carolus was covering his face with his gloved hands, crying to himself.

It hurt to hear those from the kids. It further alienated him from everyone else. But the worst part; he thinks that they're not wrong. His lack of control over his powers is why he never had any friends in the first place, in his mind.

At this point, Carolus heard footsteps approaching the room, and the door opened slightly. He was expecting it to be Miss Bonita, but a familiar voice calling to him made him freeze on the spot.

"Carolus?"

He turned around and wiped his eyes, seeing a concerned Anna.

"Y-Your highness. I…I'm," he stammered, but Anna approached him and reached her arms out. He flinched, thinking she was gonna hit him…but he felt her fingers running against his cheek, wiping away the tears.

"Please, Carolus. Just call me Anna for now." she cooed softly. Carolus stared at her, noticing a warm, loving smile on her face. She then sat down next to him and gave a smile.

"I'm so sorry about what happened earlier." he said as he sat next to her. Anna shook her head.

"Carolus, it's not your fault. Those kids were very rude. And I will see to it that they get punished for it." she replied sternly. Carolus, in a state of panic, shook his head.

"Please don't! It's my fault! I should've never burnt their stuff. I-It was just an accident!" he shouted pleadingly. Anna was stunned by this. The boy then covered his mouth and then crawled back.

"I…I'm sorry, y-your majesty. I…I didn't mean to shout like that. Please, don't cut my head off. Please…" he whimpered, tears streaming slowly. Anna bit her lower lip, seeing the boy like this. Without thinking, she approached and pulled Carolus into a hug.

"Shh…shh. It's okay, Carolus. I'm not mad at you, honey." she cooed softly. Carolus whimpered in her hold, not returning the hug, but not rejecting her embrace either. He just sat there, allowing Anna to hold him.

After a while, Anna pulled her head back, and Carolus looked at her. Anna then moved her eyes down at his hands and noticed that there are gloves.

"Carolus, why do you have gloves on?" she asked. Carolus looked at them and raised them to show her.

"Y-Your Highness," he began.

"Just Anna is alright." she corrected. Carolus nodded with a gulp.

"Sorry. Anna, do you remember when the other kids and I said 'burning their toys', and when that boy said, 'his old place burned down'?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yeah…wait a second." she began, looking at his hands, and Carolus starts to take off his left glove. He then flexed his hand, the palm facing upwards, and to Anna's shock, an ember materialized from his hand.

Anna's jaw dropped in shock. Carolus looked at her, and he had to hold in a small giggle at seeing the exaggerated look on her face. However, he dissipated the flame and placed the gloves back on.

"That's why. I have to keep wearing these gloves because Miss Bonita says that unlike with ice…fire is dangerous." he explained. Anna, after recovering from the shock, raised a brow in confusion.

"What did she mean by that?" she asked. Carolus looked at his hands again.

"She tells me that with ice, we can rebuild. But with fire, that's it. We won't get second chances." he continued sadly.

After hearing this, Anna…had to hold in a laugh that almost came out. Of course, who could blame her: anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of ice and fire would find Miss Bonita's claims LAUGHABLY untrue, and especially bias.

Carolus raised a brow, wondering why she was laughing.

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked. Anna, while giggling, shook her head and waved her finger.

"No. Not at all. I'm laughing at what Miss Bonita said; it's just so ridiculous!" she explained. Carolus tilted his head in confusion.

"B-But Miss Bonita is right, isn't she? Fire is dangerous." he said innocently. Anna nodded.

"Yes, that's right. But I'm talking about ice being 'not so dangerous'. She clearly hasn't been in MY shoes." she replied with a smile, pulling him closer. Carolus perked himself in interest.

"Really?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"That's right. Back when Elsa was Queen, her Eternal Winter nearly had everyone freeze to death. Also, she froze my heart, and I almost died." she explained.

Upon hearing this, Carolus's eyes widened in fear and gasped. He had been afraid of Elsa prior due to his previous fear of her. Anna noticed, and immediately tried to calm him down.

"Oh, but she didn't mean that! It was accidental; she had no control over her powers at the time. She would NEVER hurt me on purpose!" she cooed softly, giving a warm smile. Carolus didn't believe her.

"S-So, she did hurt you! That means she'll go for me next!" he whimpered as he grabbed his head. Anna shook her head and held his shoulders.

"Carolus, please! Calm down!" she instructed, shaking him. Carolus stopped for a moment and stared at her. Anna and Carolus stared into each other's eyes, the two of them panting, not saying anything for a while. Anna then moved her hands up to his cheeks.

"She didn't mean to hurt me. She loves me more than anything. She's not a monster…With that said; Elsa will never hurt you, either. If anything, she would love to meet you. Okay?" she asked. Carolus gulped before nodding.

"O-Okay, Anna." he said. Anna nodded before gently rubbing his back.

"That's good. Now back to the main point: ice is just as dangerous as fire. I don't know what Miss Bonita was thinking, but…this," she said, gesturing to the gloves before shaking her head. "is NOT how you should control your powers." she finished.

"T-Then how can I do it? How can I control them without my gloves?" he asked. Anna grew a smile as she cupped his hands.

"Have you practicing in secret?" he asked. Carolus nodded.

"Yeah…like with Elsa; I've been trying to make a friend of my own with my fire powers, but…it's a bit tough. I am honestly surprised they haven't gone crazy like last time." he said. Anna understood.

"Okay…how were you feeling whenever you were trying to make your friend?" she asked, caressing his back. Carolus pondered, trying to recall the last few times he tried.

"I was feeling happy. I was very excited that I would finally have a friend of my own. I, always thought that I would love it, and care for it, and play with it." he explained. Anna smiled and nodded again.

"That's how you do it. You already have the basics on how to control it!" she cheered, gently poking him in the nose, making Carolus smile. Anna then asked, "Then why are you still wearing these gloves?"

Carolus frowned, and then clasped his hands in shame. Anna sighed through her nose as she knew what he was thinking, but didn't want to say.

"Miss Bonita?" she asked. Carolus nodded.

"She always reminds me of my old home…the one they said I burned down." he explained, rubbing his shoulders. Anna gritted her teeth in sadness, now understanding his fears.

"Oh…so, that's what they mean." she confirmed. Carolus nodded.

"Yeah. I…I don't like talking about that, though…" he whimpered, biting his lip as more tears began streaming down. Anna immediately pulled him into a hug, running her fingers on his warm, red hair. As she comforted him, she looked down at him, and began to think of what to do;

She knew she was not ready to be a parent. She thought she was too young and inexperienced. But, now that she knew that there is a little boy, who has been in the same situation as Elsa once was, hiding his powers because a witch of a lady and the other kids emotionally abuse him into putting these cursed gloves on, never giving him a chance at all...she wasn't sure on what to do!

In a way, it reminded her of what Hans told her about his upbringing with his older brothers.

" _Twelve older brothers. Three of them pretended that I was invisible, literally, for two years."_

" _It's what brothers do."_

Anna silently bit her lower lip in pity; even though Hans is a despicable man, it's not hard to sympathize with him for his past. And the same is now happening to Carolus.

Anna closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose, making her decision.

She gently tapped Carolus's back, making him look up at her.

"Sweetie, do you…want to stay with me?" she asked.

Carolus's brows rose as he pulled his head back.

"W-What?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"I want to adopt you. You cannot stay in this place anymore. I want to help you grow into a better person." she said. Carolus tilted his head.

"D-Does that mean," he asked, but Anna nodded again as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Of course; I'll help you with your powers." she confirmed as a warm smile grew on her face. Carolus's heart fluttered at her suggestion, but he then tilted his head.

"But you don't have any powers; Elsa does. And she's at the Enchanted Forest. Are you sure you can do this?" he asked innocently. Anna nodded.

"Of course. If I can climb a mountain without proper gear, survive a frozen heart, survive against my ex-boyfriend – yuck! –, survive the wrath of the elements, bring peace between the people of Northuldra and Arendelle, AND be queen for this long without ripping off my hair, then I'm PRETTY sure I can raise a sweet, little boy with special powers." she said, inching her head closer to him with a cheeky smirk with each hazard she survived, and then tickling him with her nose. Carolus giggled at her gesture, and then looked at her with a smile. Anna then lifted him and placed him on her knees.

"So, what do you say?" she asked. Carolus pondered for a moment. She was very nice to him, and she said she would help him with his powers. That is very different from anyone else in this orphanage, and it is something he appreciated very much.

With a decision in his mind, he looked at Anna and opened his mouth to say…

"No."

Upon hearing this, Anna did a take-back, staring at him with shock.

"W-What?! Why? I've offered you a chance, and you denied me! Noooo!" she cried out, hands reaching up in disappointment. Carolus looked at her and had to hold in a laugh. But he tried to keep a straight face.

"Be…Because you're too…*snickers* you're too cheery! A-And you…" he began, but his giggles prevented him from speaking. Anna turned to him and noticed that he was smiling. Sighing in embarrassment, she looked at him with crossed arms and pout.

"You were joking, weren't you?" she asked. Carolus smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Anna. O-Of course I'd love to stay with you. I just wanted to have fun." he explained. Anna sighed in relief, placing her hand on her chest where her heart was, and exasperatedly fell on the bed, groaning.

"You gave me a heart attack, Carolus! I thought I was going to DIE!" she said. Carolus giggled, but then his smile grew upon seeing Anna giving him a devious smirk.

"That's worth a tickle punishment! Come here!" she growled as she lurched forward and grabbed him, pulling him close to her before she began tickling his sides. Suffice to say, Carolus had never laughed so hard in his life, nor did he have such a fun time in his life!

From this moment on, a new life has begun for Carolus, and it's going to a hectic journey to build the little boy's spirit back up!

* * *

**AN: Hey, everyone, superkoola here!**

**Here's another chapter of Frozen: Ashes. I sure hope I didn't make Anna TOO out of character. I'm not as familiar with Frozen as I am with the likes of Big Hero 6, Godzilla, or Jurassic Park/World (the franchises that are MY life) as much as I love the two movies.**

**Aside from that, someone is praying that this isn't like the first Frozen movie. Believe me…that's what I'm trying to do!**

**That's all I have to say: hope you enjoy it, please be respectful if you didn't, and stick around for more!**

**Update: I've made altercations with parts of the story: thanks to a certain PurpleBat1, I'm now being able to learn better about how the story ought to go. Later on, I had Anna doubt herself being a parent which in this particular chapter, she looked excited to be one. With PurpleBat1's suggestion, it actually made more sense for the story...at least in my eyes!**


	3. Chapter 2: Settling In

Once the tickling punishment was over, Carolus and Anna walked out of that room to inform Miss Bonita of her decision.

At the office, Anna was signing the adoption papers, with Carolus standing nearby in excitement.

"So…this is your final decision your highness?" Miss Bonita suggested. Anna nodded with a…rather stern look.

"Of course, Miss Bonita. This boy needs a family. One that would allow him to open up." she answered. Miss Bonita sighed and looked at Carolus. Carolus cowered a bit at her gaze and looked at the floor. Miss Bonita looked at Anna, with a not as intimidating stern look.

"I hope you know what you're doing, your majesty. If you're not careful with him, things will end badly for everyone here." she warned. Anna, carelessly, gave a smile.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Bonita. I can assure you; I know exactly what I'm doing. The question is: do you?" she asked teasingly as she puts down the ink, having just finished signing up the papers. Anna then took Carolus's hand, before walking out of the room, leaving a stung Miss Bonita behind….

Once they got outside, Anna was greeted by a chuckling Olaf and several kids. Once they saw Anna holding Carolus's hands, Olaf gawked and approached them.

"Hi, Anna! You having second thoughts?" he asked with his big smile. Anna smiled.

"Yep. Carolus, I want you to meet my friend, Olaf. Olaf, this is Carolus." she greeted. Carolus looked at Anna, and then at Olaf. Olaf, innocently, smiled.

"Hi, I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs!" he said as he extended his arms out to hug him. Carolus, while hesitant, eventually returned the hug. Olaf felt the boy's warmth, and he widened his eyes.

"Wow, you ARE warm." he complimented. Carolus smiled and blushed a bit.

"Thank you." he replied. Anna smiled warmly, but her eyes turned to see the children stepping away in fear. Anna frowned at this, but she knew that he didn't have to worry about their fear of him for very long.

* * *

Eventually, the three of them walked along the streets of the village. Carolus noticed several visitors staring at them. Many of them looked at him with smiles, happy to know that the child is lucky enough to be adopted by the new queen. Carolus was flustered by the looks, and quickly approached Anna's side in an attempt to hide his face. Anna giggled at him.

"What's wrong, Carolus? The people here are nice." she cooed softly. Carolus nodded.

"I believe you, but…it's all so strange. Seeing the people look at me, especially those with nice smiles. They…they don't know what I'm capable of." he pointed out. Anna nodded in understanding.

"I know, Carolus. But don't worry, we'll help you practice with your powers." she replied, gently rubbing his shoulders. Carolus smiled at her words, but he tried to remain hidden from the other citizens anyways. Olaf raised a brow.

"Powers? *gasp* You mean like what Elsa has?!" he asked Anna, excitedly. Anna hushed him to keep him quiet, but she nodded.

"Olaf, Shh! I don't want the public to know about this, yet. But, yes. He has powers too. Fire powers, to be exact." she explained. This made Olaf chuckle with excitement.

"Wow, that means Elsa's no longer alone! Someone else that has powers exists!" he cheered as he hugged Carolus, who was blushing. Anna laughed as she grasped Olaf and gently pulled him back.

"Olaf, relax. Besides, I'm not sure he's ready to meet her just yet." she explained. Olaf's smile faltered upon hearing this. Anna shook her head. "Don't worry. I've told him there's nothing to be worried about. We'll talk more once we get back home." she explained before they continued walking.

Carolus looked at Olaf and then at Anna. As they walked, he thought about Elsa, and about what Anna said about her back at the orphanage,

_Elsa will never hurt you, either. If anything, she would love to meet you._

"Would she?" he whispered to himself.

* * *

Before long, they have arrived at the castle gates. Carolus looked up as the guards stationed outside opened the gates for their queen. As they walked inside, Carolus stared at the monolithic building towering over them. Honestly, he felt intimidated by the sheer size. And to think that it is inhabited by his new mother.

" _Mother?"_ Carolus thought before he looked at Anna. He shook his head, shaking that thought out of his mind. He liked her, but…it felt weird to just call this lady she met 'mom'. Thankfully, he didn't have to refer to her as 'your highness', which does put him at ease.

Speaking of whom, Anna looked at him with a big smile.

"Welcome to your new home, Carolus." she declared, gently squeezing his shoulders. Carolus smiled at her gesture.

"It looks nice, Anna...and a bit big." he said with a smile. Anna chuckled with a smile.

"Thank you, Carolus. And don't worry; I'm sure you'll love it here." she stated, gently ruffling his hair. Carolus giggled at the gesture. Then, she took his hands. "Come on, we'll show you around!" she said as her smile brightened, taking Carolus and practically yanking him inside.

Later on, once they got settled in, Anna and Carolus were having lunch at the main hall. Olaf had left to do…who knows what.

As the two of them ate their lunch, which consists of a simple set of supper, Carolus looked at Anna.

"So…are you married, Anna, if I can still call you Anna?" he asked. Anna smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you can just call me Anna. Anyways, not yet! The man that I love dearly, named Kristoff, he's my fiancé! Sadly, he left earlier today to harvest some ice in the mountains, so he won't be seeing you until…maybe later tonight." she explained with a big smile. Carolus understood, and then asked,

"Do you two have any friends outside of anyone in this castle? Any pets?"

Anna nodded.

"Of course; there's the people of Arendelle and Northuldra, and the servants of the castle. You've already met Olaf. As for pets, there's Kristoff's reindeer named Sven!" she listed, counting her fingers as she listed all of her friends. Carolus understood and nodded.

"Okay. That's a lot of friends." he said in admiration. Anna chuckled and nodded back.

"That's right, little fella!" she said, winking at him. Carolus smiled back and then stared at the supper. He then looked at his gloves and the fire powers that are sealed within these gloves. Then, he stared at Anna.

"Anna, this may seem like an obvious question, but…how do you know that these gloves aren't gonna help me?" he asked. Anna frowned slightly and sighed through her nose as she tries to think of a good answer.

"Well, for one: my sister did just that. Kept herself hidden for nearly twenty years, her feelings of fear festering as she hides her powers. When they were revealed accidentally…well, The Eternal Winter happened." she said with a solemn nod. Carolus's heart grew heavy, remembering very well his time in his old home during the Great Winter…

"However, with help from yours truly," she continued with a small hint of a boast as she patted herself on the chest. "Elsa learned a secret to help get rid of her fear. And that secret is something you figured out already. Do you remember what it is?" she asked, leaning in closer to him. Carolus pondered for a moment before he remembered what Anna told him earlier,

_"I was feeling happy. I was very excited that I would finally have a friend of my own. I, always thought that I would love it, and care for it, and play with it."_

_"That's how you do it. You already have the basics on how to control it!"_

"Is it…happiness?" he asked, hopefully. Anna nodded.

"Exactly. And you do know what goes well with happiness?" she asked again, beaming with a smile. Carolus pondered for a moment again, a feeling of doubt still presents in his mind.

"Uh...love?" he asked gently. Anna smiled with a nod.

"Exactly! It's love, genius!" she said as she leaned forward and ruffled his hair. Carolus grew a soft smile before looking at his gloves, then pondered about Elsa.

" _Wow, I guess Anna really DOES love Elsa. But…when Anna said that she would love to meet me, is that…true?"_ he thought to himself.

"Anna?" he asked. Anna looked at him again. Carolus gave a rather serious look.

"Are you serious when you said Elsa would love to meet me?" he asked. Anna looked at him with a stunned look, before she nodded.

"Of course. You wanna know something, Carolus?" she asked. Carolus tilted his head. "One time, when I wrote a letter to her, I asked whether or not she would be happy to have someone else that has powers like her, because…well, there could be others like out there, such as yourself. She wrote back, and I quote:

" **Well, I don't think that's possible, but if there is someone like me…** (dramatic pause for effect, teehee!) **I would be happy. As much as I love being the fifth element, having someone else just like me…then maybe I would feel less lonely…"**

I am NOT making that up, Carolus. IF she…no, WHEN she finds out, she'd be dying to come back and meet you." Anna explained with a warm smile.

Carolus took her words in and bit his lower lip. Even though he is still afraid of her, hearing Anna's sincere voice about her kind of made that fear sizzle down…though it's very little. Baby steps, of course. Anna noticed this and giggled.

"Don't worry. You don't have to meet her right away if you don't want to. I know you know better about her now, but for now, I just want to make you comfortable." she said. Carolus smiled.

"Thank you, Anna." he said softly. Anna grinned and winked at him.

"You're welcome. You're family here." she cooed softly, gently pinching his left cheek, making Carolus grow a small, yet slightly bigger smile. At this point, one of the castle's servants approached them with a small plate of chocolate and cookies.

"Dessert for the both of you." he said, before bowing and departing.

"Thank you." the two replied, before staring at the dessert. Anna took in a deep sniff and sighed in ecstasy.

"Hmm, chocolate." she said as she licked her lips. She then looked at Carolus. "Looks good, doesn't it?" she asked. Carolus tilted his head and shrugged.

"I…don't like chocolate." he replied. Anna gasped and placed her hand on her chest.

"WHAT?! You've got to be joking, Carolus! You've made funny jokes the last time, s-so, t-two time's the charm, right?" she asked in a pleading tone. Carolus shook his head, his face showing no signs of breaking into a grin.

"No. Chocolate makes my tummy hurt. The one time I ate it, I stayed in bed for three weeks." he said as he raised three fingers. Anna looked at him and gritted her teeth as she made a hissing sound.

"Ouch…okay, so you're serious…Okay, then more for me!" she said as she took the chocolate and began to gobble it up. Carolus, as he took a slow bite out of his cookie, stared at Anna, eating the chocolate like a gluttonous fat man at a McDonald's eating several dozen cheeseburgers. In a way, even though it's weird, it is also rather humorous to see a grown-up queen behaving like a child. He ended up eating so he can hide another smile.

* * *

After dinner, nothing eventful has happened, and before long, the evening has arrived at Arendelle.

In one of the hallways, Anna and Carolus arrived at one of the bedrooms; the very bedroom that Anna sleeps in. The bedroom was huge, with two beds lying adjacent to one another. There is also a window that also acts as a doorway to the balcony outside.

Carolus looked on in awe.

"This is a big bedroom. I-Is there where I'll be sleeping from here now on?" he asked, turning to her. Anna nodded.

"Yep. Well, at least until you get your own room prepared." she said as Carolus crawled over to the nearest bed.

"Is this mine?" he asked. Anna nodded. Carolus pressed against the mattress and snuggled up in it. "Wow, it's very comfortable." he said before he rolled onto his back. Anna giggled and approached him.

"Glad you like it, little fella." she replied as she lied down beside him on the other end of the bed. Anna and Carolus then stared at one another.

"You enjoying your stay here, Carolus?" asked Anna. Carolus shrugged.

"Yeah. It's…big, and a lot emptier than I thought it would be, honestly. But I like it. Certainly better than the bed at the orphanage!" he replied. After the two lay there silently, Carolus raised his hands and looked at his gloves. He remembered what Anna said about Elsa, and while he wanted to believe him, all those years of abuse and doubt gripped his mind. Anna noticed and she reached her right hand up to touch them.

"Don't worry, Carolus. I promise I WILL make this burden go away." Carolus looked at her.

"Burden?" he asked, not knowing what it meant.

"It is a heavy feeling. Trust me, it's not pleasant." she said. Carolus hummed as he slightly tightened his hold on Anna's hand.

"I hope you can keep that promise." he replied. Anna nodded before she grew a devious smirk.

"Oh, it's just the start, boy. Aaaaasuming my royal duties don't get in the way, you and I are gonna do a lot of things together as a mother and son would." she began as she rolled over to her stomach. Carolus looked at her and grew a soft smile as Anna looked at him with a devious grin.

"You and I are not only gonna fix up your powers but most importantly…" Anna said as she slowly crawled towards him with a devious smirk. Carolus giggled again as he crawled back.

"WE are gonna have LOTS. And LOTS. OF FUN!" Anna declared loudly as she pounced on him again and began to tickle him again. Carolus squealed and laughed again as he struggled to get away from her grasp. But Anna, as usual, was persistent with her tickles.

It felt like an eternity, though it was actually two minutes before Anna relented and removed herself from him, giving him time to breathe. Carolus had tears in his eyes, but they were not of sadness. This time, they were of joy and happiness. Anna smiled at herself while gently wiping away the tears; in just one day, he managed to make the boy comfortable and believe in himself more.

With that in mind, she got up and moved the cover aside. She then picked him up and guided him to the bed.

"Alright, now it's time for us to go to bed." she said as she sets him down. Carolus, still in a small giggly fit, nodded. Then, as she sets the cover-up, Carolus yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you gonna be with me while I sleep?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Of course, this is my bedroom after all." she explained, gesturing to the other bed. Carolus made an 'oh' face and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, right…" he muttered. Anna then ruffled his hair.

"It's okay. We're all tired. Now," she began, before the door to the room opened, and in stepped one of the castle's servants named Gerda.

"Your majesty, Kristoff has returned." she announced. Anna sighed in relief while Carolus raised a brow.

"Oh, finally! I was getting worried. Oh, I hope that man has a reason for being so late." she growled.

"He's late?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"He's usually never gone for THIS long. Phew…I'll be back, sweetie. Try and get some shut-eye." she cooed softly, before kissing him in the forehead. Carolus nodded.

"Good night, I guess…please be back." he said and then pleaded. Anna nodded with a smile and gently poked his belly.

"I'll be back, don't worry." she assured before she got up and walked towards the door. Carolus then called out,

"And please don't kill him."

Anna looked back at him and smirked.

"I won't, baby!" she called out as Gerda closed the door. Once she did, however, Anna turned to Gerda with an angry look. "I'm gonna kill him." she growled to Gerda. Gerda just cleared her throat and, not wanting to get on her bad side, nodded.

"Of course. H-He's right this way." she gestured ahead, and Anna stomped forward.

Back inside the room, Carolus stared at the doorway, before lying back down on the floor, snuggling up against the mattress.

"Wow…I didn't think that being adopted by a fun, understanding Queen would be…well, possible at all!" he said to himself as he spreads his arms out across the bed, smile still on his face. Then, as he flexed his fingers, he frowned and pulled them up to see the gloves.

"Well…I hope Anna will help me with this. And maybe…maybe Elsa can as well." he said to himself, before shivering at the mention of her name. However, Carolus shook his head. "Come on, Carolus. If what Anna said about Elsa is true…then maybe she won't be so bad." he said as his voice quivered, clasping his hands together gently. With a sigh, he shook his head and snuggled up to the bed. "I'm going to sleep." he muttered finally as he closed his eyes and pulled the blanket over him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna and Gerda arrived at the front door, and in the doorway, stood a rather flustered Kristoff. Anna stomped towards him, and Kristoff clenched his teeth in preparation for his fiancé's wrath.

"Oh boy. Alright Anna, before you blow your brains out," he began, lifting his hands up in a gesture before he felt Anna hugging him tightly.

"Where were you, I was worried sick!" she scolded as she held him tightly. Kristoff, after a while of processing what just happened, just smiled back and hugged him back.

"Sorry, it was…quite hectic on the way back." Kristoff explained. Anna, pulling back, glared at him as she raised a brow.

"How so? Where you usually go, it's pretty hectic." She explained. Kristoff nodded.

"Yeah but, I mean really hectic. You see on the way back, the reindeer, including Sven, are spooked by something." he began as they walked inside, Gerda remaining behind to close the door.

"We tried getting them to go through the usual path we used to get back to Arendelle, but they wouldn't go through." he explained. Anna raised a brow.

"Were there any wolves?" she asked. Kristoff nodded, before shrugging.

"Sort of. Some of the boys, including myself, went ahead to try and see what went wrong. Then, we've discovered a wolf carcass on the ground. And that's not the strangest part," he began as he retold his encounter.

_*Flashback*_

_Kristoff and three other men approached the werewolf carcass, checking to see if it was still alive. Once they got to it…what they found was disturbing._

" _ **The carcass looked like it was clawed through the chest and stomach. It didn't look like a claw from a bear or any other animal."**_ _Present Kristoff recounted as the men leaned their urns closer to the carcass._ _ **"But thestrangest part, was that it was burnt! The wolf was literally cooked, and half eaten!"**_ _Present Kristoff as they gasped at the burnt carcass._

_*Flashback ends*_

Anna raised a brow in intrigue.

"A burnt wolf carcass?" he asked. Kristoff nodded.

"Whatever it was, Sven and the other reindeer wouldn't go down the usual path, so we had to take a LONGER route." he finished. Anna then nodded in understanding, pondering how there was a burnt wolf in the mountains. She bit at her lower lip, hoping that there wasn't ANOTHER fire-wielder with more hostile intentions.

She then heard Kristoff ask, "What about you? How did the visit to the orphanage go?"

Anna then cleared her throat and looked at him.

"Oh, it's…interesting. Actually, I have an interesting little boy that I've adopted as a result." she explained. Kristoff raised both his brows and then smirked.

"I knew we'd get a son! Hmph!" he replied as he fist-pumped in victory. Anna chuckled at him, before continuing with,

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, his name is Carolus, and you're not gonna believe this, but he's almost exactly like Elsa: he has powers too!" she said with a growing smile. That was when Kristoff froze in place, eyes widened in shock.

"Another element? And he's here?!" he asked in shock. Anna nodded.

"Yep. Although instead of ice, it's fire." she clarified. Kristoff's eyes widened even more and his jaw dropped.

"Woah…wait a sec, does he have control over it?" he asked, growing a bit paranoid. Anna nodded, rather hesitantly.

"Well, sort of." she replied.

"What do you mean, 'sort of'? Does he have control or not?" asked Kristoff, now a bit fearful. Anna gritted her teeth and hushed him.

"Kristoff, relax! He has gloves on!" she assured. Kristoff raised a brow and asked her what she meant. Anna sighed, and she began telling him about Carolus's tragic past, and how everyone at the orphanage not only feared him but the headmistress emotionally abused him into keeping his powers hidden by reminding him over and over again of his old hometown, which he burned down by mistake. Kristoff listened and felt sympathy for the boy.

"Ouch…" he muttered. Anna nodded in agreement.

"That's why I'm pleading with you, Kristoff. PLEASE don't let him know you're afraid and be supportive of him instead. As much as I would love to be by his side, I am…a bit worried that my duties would get in the way. He needs a father, Kristoff…just as much as he needs a mother." she pleaded, holding his hands with hers.

Kristoff, after seeing his fiancé's pleading look, just gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Of course, Anna. Anything for you and your new son." Kristoff assured as he leaned in and kissed her in the lips. Anna giggled.

"OUR new son, Kristoff." she corrected, kissing him back. Kristoff chuckled and nodded.

"Right, sorry." he corrected. Anna chuckled and the two kissed again, before pulling back. Kristoff then had asked, "Should Elsa know about this?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yes, but…Carolus is afraid of her." she answered. Kristoff nodded in understanding.

"Understandable. I mean, Elsa is ice, and he is fire, so I can kind of see why. Where is he, anyways?" he replied. Anna shrugged and nodded.

"Maybe. Kind of makes sense, actually. Anyways, he's in my room, sleeping, as I should be as well. I'll write her a letter tomorrow." she said as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. Kristoff chuckled and swiped Anna off her feet.

"Need a liftoff?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Oh, yes. Please, I don't think my legs can *snore*" Anna said as she suddenly fell asleep, the energy from today having left her. Kristoff chuckled and shook his head as he walked towards her room.

Tomorrow is another day for the royal family and little Carolus…

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here!**

**Here's another chapter of Frozen 3: Ashes. A bit slow, but I guess it is a necessary slow to show Carolus first settling into the castle. And the next chapter or so, will be just that. And don't worry; Elsa will be here! After all, having learned of someone else that is almost exactly just like you…well, I bet it must be exciting.**

**Anyways, that's all I have to say. Hope you enjoyed this, please be respectful if you think differently, and stick around for more!**

**Update: I've made altercations with parts of the story: thanks to a certain PurpleBat1, I'm now being able to learn better about how the story ought to go. Later on, I had Anna doubt herself being a parent which in this particular chapter, she looked excited to be one. With PurpleBat1's suggestion, it actually made more sense for the story...at least in my eyes!**


	4. Chapter 3: Nightmare and Relief

_A sleeping Carolus snuggled up against what he assumed was the bed. He tossed and turned, trying to get himself more comfortable. However, as he placed his hands on what he presumed was the bed, he instead felt snow._

_Carolus groaned and shivered, as he slowly stretched._

" _Is it morning, already?" he asked to himself as he opened his eyes. Then, as his hearing managed to clear, he then heard something very familiar._

_It sounded like…high-pitched screams. Carolus rubbed his eyes to get a clearer look, and he soon regretted it!_

_He wasn't in the bedroom with Anna anymore. He was back at his old hometown, and it was being burnt down! Carolus gasped in fright as he looked around, seeing numerous of the homes covered in flames, with people inside trapped._

" _Oh no! No, no!" he cried out as he stood up and covered his hands. He raised a brow in confusion as he didn't feel any gloves on his hands. He looked down, noticing that he didn't have any gloves on. Tears welled up as he looked around. "I'm…I'm sorry, everyone. This is…" he muttered to himself as he placed his lit-up hands on the snow, causing the little flakes on the floor to melt._

_**GraaaaaAhhh!** _

_**Su-tur.** _

_**Reee!** _

_Carolus's eyes widened and skin paled at the familiar sounds of monstrous roars. He looked up, and his heart ran faster as he saw three of many fiery creatures staring at him with hatred and malice in their eyes._

_One of them resembles a panther from hell, with spikes along each side of the crook where the neck meets the head. It was drooling lava from the mouth, and it had a look of hunger._

_The other resembles a bipedal tortoise with a bird skull for a face. Lava was drooling from the empty sockets and nostrils, and it seemed to be carrying a type of mace._

_The other one in the center, presumably the leader, mostly had no facial features, but it too had a bipedal stance and resembled a beetle with its many arms and a glowing horn on the center of its head. On its hands was a body of a man burnt to a crisp._

_Carolus crawled back in horror as the leader pulled the body apart with ease._

_**Su-tur.** _

_The leader then gestured its arms forward and stomped towards him, with the other two behind him. Carolus shouted in terror!_

* * *

Anna gasped awake upon hearing Carolus's shouts of fright. She sat up and looked at the extra bed, where Carolus was sleeping. She gritted her teeth and shot herself out of the bed.

"Carolus?! Carolus, what's wrong?!" she asked as she approached the bed. Carolus was still asleep, thrashing his arms about in bed.

"Please! Please, don't burn them down! Stop!" he cried out in his sleep. Anna bit her lip as she sat down and wrapped her arms around him. "Please! Stop! No, get away!" he shouted again, the volume growing louder.

"Carolus, it's okay! It's just a bad dream! Please, wake up!" Anna assured with concern. Carolus responded with more screaming. "Carolus! Baby, please!" she pleaded, shaking him. Carolus continued to shout in terror, before,

"AAAHH!" Carolus's eyes opened as he screamed again, before he looked around, panting in exhaustion, heart still beating. "W-Wha? Where," he panted before he felt a pair of arms tightened their hold around him. He looked up and screamed in shock.

"Who are you?!" he asked, pointing to Anna, not recognizing her thanks to her frizzled hair. Anna gasped and gestured him to relax with one hand while fixing her hair with the other.

"Carolus, it's me; Anna! Please, settle down!" she assured. Once he heard her voice, Carolus stopped panicking and stared at her.

"…Anna? Is that you?" he asked, before crawling towards her slowly. Anna nodded as she grew a caring smile. Carolus, once he calmed down from the fright, looked at his hands to make sure his gloves were still on, which they thankfully are, and then frowned and lowered his head.

"I had the same nightmare again…" he whimpered out, but his throat was constricted from the screaming, so he had to clear his throat. Anna grew confused for a moment before she remembered Carolus screaming something burning down.

"Did you have a nightmare about…what happened in your old home?" she asked. Carolus looked at her and pouted with a nod, tears streaming down again.

"They…they just wouldn't stop coming. I…I tried so hard to forget about what happened. I wanted to either forget I had powers in the first place, or just try and have fun with them…but," he spoke, but his broken voice kept him from speaking clearly. Anna didn't hesitate, and she pulled him into another hug.

"Shh, shh…it's okay, Carolus. She's not here to hurt you, anymore." she cooed, referring to Miss Bonita. Carolus just hiccupped as he whimpered.

"She wouldn't stop reminding me…My mom and dad wanted me to be happy with what I have, and that's what I tried to do. A-After all, it worked with Elsa….but Miss Bonita just…" he then began to cry, clutching onto her body. "And every time I tell her about these nightmares…she just says that they should be a reminder of why I should be hiding who I am…"

Anna gritted her teeth as she listened in.

" _Oh, dear. This is a lot worse than I thought."_ she thought to herself, caressing the boy's back.

After a while of hugging, Anna looked at Carolus.

"Oh, sweetie…I wish there was something I can do to help." she whimpered softly. Carolus, wordlessly, just held onto her tightly, continuing to whimper. Anna, as she held him, pondered to herself on what to do.

" _Oh, what can I do? I-I thought raising a child would be easy, b-but what about those that have been through…like what Carolus and Elsa went through?"_ she thought to herself as she began to rock him back and forth. She then sighed to herself as she pressed her chin against his head. _"I wasn't thinking. I don't know how to raise a child."_ she thought to herself as a frown grew on her face, a tear threatening to slip down.

She then felt Carolus move his head up to look at her. Anna looked down at him, and she could see plea in the boy's eyes.

"Please…don't leave me, Anna. Y-You're the only one I know that isn't afraid of me. W-Without you…I don't know where else to go…" he pleaded, shaking his head. Anna felt the boy's pleading voice strike her in the heart, and she gulped, struggling to breathe in. Carolus then raised a brow. "Why are you crying, Anna?" he asked. Anna shook her head and wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Don't mind me. It's just…I didn't know it was that bad, Carolus. I'm really sorry." she comforted as she then gave him a kiss on the forehead. Carolus leaned into the kiss, and he looked back up at her.

"I-It's not your fault, Anna." he replied. Anna shook her head.

"I know, it's just that…*sigh* No child should ever have to go through what you went through. And I PROMISE, I'm going to correct that, just like I said I would." she declared with a heavy smile as she wiped away a tear from his left eye. Carolus smiled again, and Anna's heart fluttered at seeing such a beautiful smile. "I may not be great at parenting, but that's not gonna stop me from trying. Come here." she said as she pressed her forehead against his. Carolus smiled as he leaned into the gesture, eyes closing with a smile, hands clasping hers.

After a while of sitting there, Carolus opened one of his eyes and asked with a small plead,

"Can you sing me a lullaby?"

Anna giggled and nodded before she grabbed him and lifted him up gently.

"This is a song that my mother used to sing to Elsa and me when I was about your age. This should help put you back, no matter what dreams you might've had." she assured gently. Carolus smiled before Anna took in a deep breath to begin singing,

" _ **Where the North Wind meets the Sea~**_

_**There's a river full of memories~** _

_**Sleep, my darling, safe and sound~** _

_**For in this river all is found~"** _

Carolus immediately felt himself grow a bit drowsy at the sound of Anna's singing voice. To him, it sounded so soothing, like an angel singing a lullaby to ease his pained soul. Anna gently caressed the boy's cheeks as he leaned into the embrace.

" _ **In her waters, deep and true~**_

_**Lay the answers and a path for you~** _

_**Dive down deep into her sound~** _

_**But not too far or you'll be drowned~"** _

Anna then sets him down onto the bed and looked at him as she gently grasped his hands, watching Carolus beginning to doze off, eyes closing.

" _ **Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear~**_

_**And in her song, all magic flows~** _

_**But can you brave what you fear most? ~** _

_**Can you face what the river knows? ~"** _

Anna frowned a bit at the last two phrases, knowing that in the future, Carolus would have to face what he fears: fear of his powers, and what the people will think of him. But it didn't worry her; she would hold onto that promise of not leaving his side. She then felt heard Carolus snoring. She looked at the boy snoring quietly. Anna smiled, happily seeing the boy sleeping like a Cupid. She gently ran her thumb across her cheek as she continued singing,

" _ **Where the north wind meets the sea~**_

_**There's a mother full of memory~** _

_**Come, my darling, homeward bound~** _

_**When all is lost, then all is found~** _

Anna finished her lullaby, and by this point, Carolus has fallen into a deep sleep. Anna smiled, leaning in forward and kissing him in the cheek again. She then moves the blankets up to cover the little boy up.

After sitting in the bed for a while, not saying anything as she watches over him to make sure he was sleeping safe and sound, Anna frowned and placed her hands on her face, rubbing them together.

"Okay, Anna. Relax. You've got this. You may not know how to raise a child, but you made a promise to Carolus, and you mustn't back down on that promise." she muttered to herself as she made many lecturing gestures to herself. Anna then took in a deep breath and then thought of Elsa. For a moment, she had seriously considered requesting Elsa to help with Carolus. However, she knew that Carolus is still a bit uneasy with the woman, even when she told him that the snow-woman would never harm him.

Then, Kristoff's reasoning came back into her mind.

" _Understandable. I mean, Elsa is ice, and he is fire. So I can kind of see why."_

Anna took his words, as well as Carolus's fears into consideration, and then settled on what to do next.

"Okay, so let's just stick to the original plan; give Carolus a few days, then ask him if he wants to meet Elsa, and if he says yes, THEN invite her over." Anna recited again and then fist-pumped in excitement. "You've got this Anna, everyone's depending on you!" she said to herself, before turning to a sleeping Carolus. Her excitement was then replaced with maternal protectiveness and determination.

"Carolus is depending on you." she finished before she walked off towards her bed. However, she stopped and turned back to look at the boy. Anna knew she'd still be nearby since they share the same bed. However, that didn't really seem to matter, as he still got nightmares. Anna sighed to herself as she then decided to sleep with the seven-year-old, just to be sure he'd be safe.

Gently removing the covers so she can lie down beside him comfortably, Anna then moved her arm over him and hugged him again, before closing her eyes and eventually falling asleep. In his sleep, Carolus snuggled closer to her, sub-consciously enjoying the embrace.

For the remainder of the night, things are quiet within the kingdom of Arendelle. Nobody, therefore, was around to see a group of fiery eyes staring down at the kingdom from a distant hill, some of their orifices bleeding magma, one drop landing on a small flower, causing it to shrivel up and die from the heat…

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here!**

**Okay, so after deciding on what to write next, I've decided to have a small chapter involving Carolus's nightmares, to show that the boy's mental condition is…well, worse than was previously shown. I mean, I did depict Miss Bonita as emotionally abusive, so having nightmares of the previous attack, no thanks to her constantly reminding him of such, would be cliché, but also reasonable!**

**I also wanted to add conflict for Anna. After all; even though she's queen now, I'd still imagine her as bubbly and a bit childish as well, so I wanted her to have doubts about whether she could do this. Of course, this is** _**ANNA** _ **we're talking about, so she won't give up! Especially since she'll have help in the form of Kristoff, her friends, and especially Elsa!**

**And now we have the other big part of this story introduced; the fire monsters! Who are they in allegiance with…well, with one of them; you should have a good hint.**

**Fun Fact: the beetle-like monster that mutters "Su-tur" was based on/inspired by one of my favorite monsters from the famous Japanese** _**Ultraman** _ **franchise; Zetton! Just wanted to let you guys know!**

**Anyways, that's all I have to say for now; I hope you enjoyed it, please be respectful if you think differently, and stick around for more!**


	5. Chapter 4: New Day, New Surprises

Morning has arrived on Arendelle, and thus, a brand new day arrived for Anna and Carolus.

Carolus was snuggled up peacefully against Anna's body, the two of them sporting messy hair, snoring like crazy. Given what happened last night, the two of them wanted to stay in their beds, as peaceful as can be.

However, life as usual has other plans…

Carolus turned subconsciously, until he was facing Anna, whose hair had once again become messy and unkempt. Her snoring caused him to open his eyes, and he smiled, laughing a bit at seeing the Queen of Arendelle like this. His laughing made Anna stir awake slightly, and she opened her eyes to see Carolus looking at her sleepily.

"Hmm…morning, Carolus." she muttered. Carolus giggled.

"Morning, Anna…your hair looks like it went through a massive tornado." he said. Anna gave a sleepy pout, before she stuck her tongue out.

"Quiet, you. _Your_ hair looks like it just went through..." she retorted…quite pathetically. Carolus laughed some more, before Anna sighed.

"Just a few more minutes; I think I've found what I want to do with my life as Quee-" she began, before falling back asleep. Carolus smiled again as he closed his eyes and snuggled up against Anna again. Anna hummed as she smiled, her arms wrapped around him again.

Unfortunately for the two, a gust of wind pressed against their cheeks, following by a sound that sounds like rapid chirps. Anna groaned as she opened her eyes and sat up, only to see the wind with a pile of leaves looking down at them. She immediately gasped in delight as she recognized it.

"Gale! Good morning!" she said as Carolus sat up, staring as the wind, Gale, swooped around her affectionately, even taking the opportunity to fiddle with her hair. Carolus stared in awe.

"Anna? How are you doing that?" he asked, pointing at her. Anna shook her head.

"I'm not doing anything; this is my friend, Gale. She's one of the five elements." she explained as Gale swirled around her hair, before looking up with a smile. "What exactly are you doing?" she asked. Gale stopped swirling around, and Carolus had to hold in a big laugh.

Now, instead of a wild, fuzzy hair that looked like something a bird would make a nest in, her hair is now shaped like an end of an ice cream cone. Anna looked at herself in the mirror, and gasped in surprise. Carolus covered his mouth as he tried to stifle a laugh. Anna glared at him.

"It's not funny, Carolus." she whined in embarrassment. Carolus shook his head.

"You're right; it's not funny…it's hilarious!" he said as he finally broke down into laughter. Anna sighed in embarrassment. But apparently, Gale wasn't finished yet.

Gale swooped down and swept through Carolus's hair. Carolus yelped in surprise, and Gale eventually pulled back, to reveal Carolus's new hairdo; a hair as spikey as a wild, overgrown shrub in a desert. Now, it was Anna's turn to let out a laugh. Carolus just remained pouting as Gale swirled alongside him.

"Not so funny now, isn't it?" she teased, left arm around his shoulder. Carolus looked up and grinned.

"Your hair still looks sillier." he pointed. Anna just stuck her tongue out at him, and Carolus did the same in response. Gale then nuzzled against Anna's shoulders, and she looked down with a smile.

"Oh…you're wondering why I haven't sent any letters yesterday. Oh, hehe…it's because of this little booger here." she said as she rubbed her hand on his shoulder. Carolus smiled at her. "Carolus, this is my friend, Gale. As I said earlier, she is one of the five natural elements." she explained. Carolus raised his hands forward and tried to grab Gale. However, given that she is wind, Carolus ended up falling through her. Gale jingled again as she brushed against Carolus's back, making him giggle. He then turned to Anna.

"Elements?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yep; there are five of them. There's Gale, the Wind Element. Then there's Bruni, the Fire Element. Next, there's Nokk, the Water Element. And lastly, there's the Earth Giants, which are the Earth Elements…obviously." she listed, adding the last part with a shrug. Carolus nodded in understanding.

"Wow…I remember when Arendelle was shaking, and there was some fire some time ago. Was it from them?" he asked. Anna nodded, frowning slightly at the memory.

"Yeah….well anyhow, Gale; I forgot to send a letter earlier yesterday because…well, like I said; him." she said, before explaining to the element about how what happened yesterday. "And as for the gloves…well, Carolus? Would you mind showing it to her?" she asked. Carolus frowned at this as he looked at his gloves. Anna scooted next to him.

"Don't worry; it's just an ember. Just like with before when we first met." she said with a cheery tone. Carolus remembered that encounter, and smiled, giggling a bit as he remembered Anna's look when he showed her his powers. He then took off his left glove.

"Okay. Here we go." he muttered to her, as he flexed his hand. There, he created a small ember from his palm. Anna giggled as she squeezed his shoulders.

"Good job, Carolus." she congratulated. Gale stared at the ember, before slightly leaning in to inspect it. Carolus, seeing what she was about to do, pulled his hand back.

"Gale, what are you doing? You'll get hurt." he whimpered with a concerned look. Anna then patted him in the shoulders.

"She'll be fine. She's wind; nothing can physically hurt her." she assured. Carolus, while still unsure, nodded and he thus showed Gale the ember. Gale swirled around the ember as if she were fascinated by the flame, leaning closer.

Suddenly, Gale rapidly pulled back and lets out a loud, rapid jingle sound, the posture resembling a defensive rattlesnake. Carolus gasped and crawled back as Anna held him closer to her.

"Gale, what's wrong?!" she asked in concern. Gale then just whooshed away from the room through the window, which was open thanks to Gale, leaving the two alone. Carolus and Anna sat there for a while before the former looked up at her.

"What's gotten into Gale? Does she not like me?" he asked. Anna shook her head rapidly as she went for his glove.

"Not at all; I just…well, I don't know what got into her. But don't worry, she's really friendly." she assured, giving him the glove for him to put back on. Carolus, while still **very** unsure, nodded in understanding, before noticing a strand of his hair falling in front of his face. He then fixed his hair, as Anna soon did the same.

"She seemed fun, honestly." he then added. Anna nodded with a grin.

"Yeah. Anyways, so; ready to start a new day?" she asked. Carolus nodded.

"Yeah. So…do you have any plans?" he asked. Anna pondered for a moment, before smiling with a nod.

"Yes! Come on; let's have a LONG day of FUN!" she cheered before pulling Carolus out of the bed, making the boy yelp in surprise!

So, today starts a brand new day for the two!

* * *

Starting off: bike riding!

"So, have you ever ridden a bike before, Carolus?" asked Anna as she walked besides Carolus, who was trying to balance himself on the bike along the hallway. It was pretty difficult, but Anna made sure to keep the bike in balance.

"Uh, it's very hard." he said as he tries to keep his balance, almost tilting too far to the right. Thankfully, Anna grabbed him and the bike and managed to steady it.

"Don't worry; you'll get the hang of it." Anna cheered as she sped alongside him. Carolus, feeling his heart flutter at the compliment, kept up the determination, and tries to keep up the balance.

Eventually, Anna gave a smile as they approached a corner of the hallway, leading to the right. They stopped, and Anna helped turning the bike to the direction of the long hallway ahead.

"Are you ready, Carolus?" she asked as she looked at the boy. Carolus nodded as he gulped.

"Y-Yep!" he assured. Anna nodded, as she then sped ahead.

"Come on! You can do this! I believe in you!" she cheered. This motivated Carolus as he continues to do his best to balance. It was still wobbly, but he wasn't forcing to stop. Anna chuckled with a smile.

"That's it, Carolus!" she cheered again. Carolus giggled, neither of them paying attention to where they were going. On the other end of the hallway, there is a spiraling stairway leading downwards to the main hall!

Carolus and Anna looked at each other with smiles before Anna's eyes caught the stairs in her vision, and her face grew horrified.

"Carolus, watch out!" she said. Carolus raised a brow, before he felt himself bumping up and down.

The bike continued to ride down the stairs, picking up speed in the process, making Carolus yelp in surprise.

"Carolus!" Anna said, before she sat on the rail and slid down on it in an effort to catch up to Carolus.

Soon, the bike landed on the floor, and after wobbling in place tilted to the side. Luckily, Anna arrived just in time and with amazing speed that even she herself found surprising, snatched Carolus up before the bike fell on its side.

After a moment of silence, the two looked at each other.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked. Carolus nodded.

"Yeah…well, I was doing it right, am I?" he replied, before smiling innocently. Anna then sighed as she pulled him into a hug before looking at the bike and then back at him.

"We're DEFINETELY not riding the bike inside again!" she chuckled. Carolus giggled, before pouting.

"But I like riding the bike." he replied. Anna nodded.

"Yeah, but only after you've gotten it correctly. Till then, we're practicing outside. Now…what else should we do?" she pondered. Carolus did the same. After a while, Anna gasped as another idea came into her mind.

Now in the castle's kitchen, Carolus was carrying a bag towards Anna, who was near one of the stoves. There were no chefs at this time, so they have the place to themselves.

"Ngh, are these what you need, Anna?" he groaned. Anna smiled as she took it and placed it on the table nearby.

"Yep!" she said. Carolus then raised a brow.

"What are we even doing here?" she asked. Anna giggled.

"I wanted to bake us cake and cookies for breakfast!" she asked.

"Cake?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yep! I want your first breakfast to be special! Hey, what's your favorite cake flavor?" she asked. Carolus shrugged.

"Peanut Butter?" he asked. Anna smiled.

"Alrighty then! Wanna help me get this cake and cookies ready?" she asked. Carolus nodded.

"Yeah!" he replied with a big smile.

And so it was; the two of them got to work on making cake. Anna read the recipes while they walked about; getting the recipes they needed, before they began to mix the ingredients.

In the middle of their kitchen shenanigans, Olaf came walking in.

"Hi, everyone!" he greeted. Anna and Carolus looked at him and gave smiles.

"Hi, Olaf! Anna and I are making cake with some cookies!" Carolus greeted. Olaf gasped in delight.

"Cake and cookies! Are they done?! I love cake and cookies!" he said as he waddled over. Anna shook her head.

"Not yet, Olaf! Would you mind helping us?" she asked. Olaf nodded, joining in. After getting the cake prepared for heating, they then got to get the dough needed for cookies. Once they were finished with the cake, and now the cookies are placed into the oven to wait. Olaf was giggling while they wait, making Carolus giggle at the snowman.

At last, the cookies are done and are laid out on the kitchen table. Carolus and Anna smiled, before glancing at one another.

"We did it!" Carolus cheered with a clap. Anna chuckled as she nodded, gently squeezing his shoulders.

"Yes we did little guy, with YOUR help." she said, shaking him a bit. Carolus just giggled, proud of the praise he was getting. Olaf was excited at the sight of the cake.

"Yummy cake! I want!" he cheered, before diving his face onto the cake. Anna gasped and Carolus looked on in shock.

"Olaf!" she scolded, hands on her hips. Olaf then lifted his head up and looked at their faces of disappointment. He then pouted.

"Oh…sorry." he said, before he took the piece out of his mouth and placed it back onto the cake. Anna shivered and Carolus nearly retched. They then looked at each other.

"Should we start again?" asked Carolus. Anna nodded.

"Just this once." she said, and they gave a small chuckle.

* * *

Later on, Anna took Carolus (via piggy-back) to the stables, where Kristoff was with his reindeer friend, Sven. Once they arrived, Anna sets him down and looks at him.

"This is where Kristoff usually works. So, you ready to meet him?" he asked. Carolus looked a bit unsure, but he nodded.

"I guess." he said. Anna smiled as she took his hand.

"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine. Plus, he was an orphan before, so I'm sure he knows what it's like to live alone before the trolls took him in." she said. Carolus perked his head up upon hearing that Kristoff was an orphan as well, before he raised his brows.

"Trolls?" he asked. Anna chuckled.

"I've got a LONG story to tell you later. Right now, though, it's time to meet Kristoff." she answered before she then took his hand and took the confused boy inside. "Hi there, Kristoff. Hey, Sven." she greeted. Kristoff looked at them and smiled at Anna.

"Hey there, Anna! How's your sleep?" he asked with a smile. Anna smiled and shrugged.

"Not the best. The poor little guy here had a bad nightmare that I was able to chase away." she explained with a hint of sympathy as she lifted Carolus up and sets him down in front of her. She then squeezed his shoulders again.

"Now, Carolus. This is my fiancé, Kristoff. Kristoff, this is my son, Carolus." she introduced. Kristoff gave a grin and bent down to Carolus's level. Carolus, on the other hand, and understandably, felt a bit intimidated.

"Hey there, little fella. How are ya?" he asked in a friendly tone. Carolus, after a brief moment of silence, gulped.

"Are you…gonna squeeze me into a pulp? Especially given how big you are?" he asked. Anna blushed with embarrassment while Kristoff laughed.

"Nah. I don't hurt little fellas like yourself." he assured as he gently ruffled Carolus's hair. Carolus gave a small grin, before noticing a large reindeer sniffing him. Carolus smiled as the reindeer's nose tickled him slightly.

"Is that a…a reindeer?" he asked, reaching forward to pet him. Sven hummed at this and sat down.

"Yep. This reindeer is Sven." he introduced. Then, to have fun, he puckered his lips. "Hey there, little buddy. Nice to meet you." he added in a goofy-voice, meaning to act as a translator for Sven, who was gently nudging his nose against Carolus. Carolus, while giggling, then looked at Kristoff with raised brows.

"What's that? You uh…kind of sound like a dangerous man." he replied. Hearing this, Kristoff just had to laugh. Anna sighed silently, shaking her head, but not without a small chuckle coming out from her.

"Oh, champ. It's not. It's supposed to be me translating what I think Sven is trying to say, although I can definitely see why you would think that. That definitely explained why some moms were freaking out when I offered their kids to ride Sven." he explained, adding the last part with a murmur. Sven grunted in response.

"So…can Sven fly?" asked Carolus after a moment of silence.

"Fly? Where did you hear that reindeers can fly?" asked a confused Kristoff. Carolus shrugged.

"The North Pole. Isn't that where Santa Claus lives?" he asked. Kristoff raised his brows.

"Santa? Well kid, I uh…" he said before his eyes caught Anna giving him quite a heated glare, which Carolus didn't notice. Under the glare, Kristoff then cleared his throat.

"Y-Yeah. That's right; Santa does live in the North Pole, with flying reindeer. However, Sven doesn't fly. He's just a normal reindeer." he answered.

"Oh. Aww…" Carolus pouted in disappointment as he pressed his face against Sven's nose. Sven smiled and licked him again, making him giggle. Kristoff then noticed the gloves on Carolus, and smiled, kneeling down.

"Those are nice gloves." he said with a smile. Carolus looked at his gloves, and frowned slightly.

"Thanks. I'm always supposed to keep them on." he replied. Kristoff frowned a bit. Anna, at this point, approached him and grasped his shoulders.

"I've told him about you last night, Carolus." she said. Carolus looked at her and raised his brows. Anna nodded. "I just…I wanted him to be prepared for what he's dealing with. Last thing we need is another person afraid of you." she added.

"Yeah…you're not afraid of me, aren't you?" Carolus asked Kristoff. Kristoff shook his head.

"Naw, kid. Why would I be afraid?" he asked with a shrug.

"Because of this, and that I control fire." Carolus replied. Then, he added, "PLEASE be honest with me. Are you afraid?" he asked. Kristoff looked at Anna anxiously, and she just gritted her teeth in fear. Kristoff then sighed through his nose, hoping to explain this as best as he could without making Carolus cry.

"Well, kid…I won't lie. I was a bit tense when I first found out about you." he said. Carolus frowned at this, but he then Kristoff gently ruffling his hair. "However, you seem like a great kid, even though we just met." he said. Carolus looked at him with a bit of hope.

"So…you're not afraid of me? At least, not as much as you were?" he asked. Kristoff nodded.

"Yep. I'm looking forward to spending time with you. As well as to help you with your powers." he answered with a grin.

"You'll help too?" asked Carolus. Kristoff nodded. Sven chuffed in response, also eager to help! Anna giggled and gently shook Carolus.

"I told you Kristoff would help us." Anna said with a smile. Carolus nodded.

"You were right, Anna. Then again, many kids at my home say that moms always know best." he replied as Anna pulled him into another hug. Kristoff chuckled as he wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah…though, I don't know exactly how, given that…well," Kristoff began before they heard someone rushing inside the stables. They turned around to see a man, who is a little bit on the heavy side, panting from having to run so far. This is the overseer of the Arendelle castle and advisor to Anna: Kai.

"Your majesty, there you are! *pants* Y-Your presence is being requested at once!" Kai panted as he placed his hand on the wall. Anna approached him with concern.

"Relax, Kai. Take a deep breath." she instructed as she gently patted him. At this point, Olaf came rushing in as well.

"Anna! Anna, Kai has something to-Oof!" he cried out before he accidently ran into another wall, causing him to collapse into separate segments. Carolus widened his eyes in shock, but his brow raised when Olaf giggled. As Anna begins to put him back together, she looked at Kai curiously.

"What do they need me for? Is this one of those urgent businesses that Elsa mentions in the past?" she asked, remembering how Elsa would be requested to be at these meetings. Elsa would never tell, as it would usually be taken care of, so Anna assumed it would be like the rest of the meetings that she was told of.

However, what Kai told her, intrigued her and alarmed Kristoff.

"I'm not sure entirely, but as I was making my way towards here, I heard rumors of a fire-breathing beast killing two cows." he explained with honesty. Carolus paled at this and he bit his lips, looking down slightly. Anna also seemed alarmed by this, and after looked at Carolus, she then nodded.

"I'm heading there now. Kristoff, are you and Sven coming?" she asked, looking at Kristoff and Sven. Kristoff nodded.

"Yeah. I've gotta see this for myself. Maybe I can identify what type of predator it is." he said, with Sven grunting in agreement.

"Oooh, I wanna go too!" Olaf said. However, Anna shook her head.

"No, Olaf. I want you to stay with Carolus until I come back." she ordered. Olaf frowned for a moment before he soon beamed with happiness.

"Okay! Carolus and I are gonna find stuff to do! Won't we, Carolus?" he asked. Carolus nodded, although he does look a bit worried. Anna noticed and knelt down.

"I know we're just getting started, sweetie. But, you know, Queen duties." she said with a friendly chuckle. Carolus nodded in understand, although he does look a bit upset.

"You'll come back, right?" he asked, hopefully. Anna nodded as she pulled him into a hug.

"You can bet on that, baby. I'll be back as soon as I can." she said with assurance. Carolus leaned into the embrace, before Anna pulled back, kissing him on the cheek. "Once I do, then we can ALL have some more fun. Okay?" she asked. Carolus nodded, now feeling happy. Anna smiled as she stood up, before tuning to look at Kai.

"We're off, now." she said as she, Kristoff, and Kai got onto Sven before the reindeer trotted away, leaving Olaf and Carolus alone. The snowman then grabbed Carolus's hands.

"Don't worry, Carolus. We can do LOTS of fun together. Come on, I'll show you!" he said with glee before he pulled forward, accidently losing his arm in the process. Carolus looked at it, and then at Olaf, who was running off with happiness. He gently grabbed the stick, and rushed after him.

"O-Olaf! Wait, your arm!" he cried out as he rushed away from the shed after the snowman.

While everybody in Arendelle is preparing for what has happened, a certain spirit element is about to have some terrifying news brought onto her…

* * *

Far up north the kingdom of Arendelle, across a plateau and plains, there is magical forest known as…well, the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest's entrance can be identified by four tall stones with the symbols of the four natural elements: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Further inside the forest and we will see a quaint village owned by a group of indigenous people, called the Northuldra. The people here, to put it simply, are the people who live in harmony with the elements, living out their days from sunrise to sunset. Sometime prior, they were placed into a curse when a conflict between them and Arendelle Royal Guards, but when Anna, Elsa, and their friends, the curse was lifted, and the people are able to live in peace once more.

Among the populace, a special woman resides here as well.

On the outskirts, relaxing near one of the trees is a woman with long platinum blonde hair and a lovely dress. This is the fifth spirit of the Enchanted Forest, Elsa!

Elsa was looking at the bright sky, admiring the beauty of the forest by herself. On her lap is the Fire spirit salamander, and by extension Elsa's "pet", Bruni. Bruni nuzzled himself against Elsa's chest as it made some squirming noises. Elsa looks down at him, and smiled as Bruni opened his mouth.

"You hungry? Okay." she replied as she flexed her finger and several flakes came coming down from her fingers. Bruni squeaked in excitement and began to eat them like a toddler trying to catch rain droplets in his/her mouth. Elsa giggled at this scene.

"Elsa," said a familiar voice. Elsa looked up to see one of her closest friends, Honeymaren Nattura.

"Hi, Honeymaren. Everything alright?" she asked. Honeymaren nodded.

"Alright. You?" she asked. Elsa nodded as she gently tickled Bruni's belly.

"Things are really quiet and peaceful as of late. Just how I like it." she replied. Honeymaren nodded as they then turned to look at the scenery ahead of them. Minus the chatting and laughter from the people nearby, and the wind rustling the leaves on the trees, the forest is silent. Then, Honeymaren looked at Elsa.

"Hey, I just remembered something. Did Anna send you another letter in relation to yesterday's letter?" she asked. Elsa slightly faltered her smile.

"Actually…no, she hasn't. She said something about a surprise she wants to show me later tonight, and that she'd send me another letter earlier today to let me know that I can see the surprise. I wonder if she forgot." she said. Honeymaren shrugged for a moment, before they heard rapid chirping sounds. Elsa perked her head up as she felt tension run through her body. Bruni perked his head up in a similar pace.

"Gale, what's wrong?" she asked as Gale zoomed towards them. Then, Gale pressed itself against them, and before Elsa knew it, she gritted her teeth as she cried out in pain. Then, in her vision, she saw flashing images of a humanoid figure overlooking a fiery landscape. It was carrying a large sword of nothing but flames. The images kept flashing, and the humanoid figure gets closer and closer, seeing the bright red eyes.

Soon, Elsa gasped as she clutched her head. Honeymaren grabbed her shoulder with concern.

"Elsa! What happened?!" she demanded, concern present all over her face. At this point, Bruni felt the presence emanating from Gale, and he was panicking as well, emitting fire from his body as he ran around the forest floor, squeaking in horror. Gale was approaching the nearby river, and this alerts the water spirit, the Nokk. Elsa widened her eyes in horror.

"No, no, no! Guys, settle down!" she said as the Nokk rose from the water, and neighed loudly, swinging its legs as it rose upwards. The entire tribe noticed what was going on, and they were panicking.

"Elsa? What's going on with the elements?!" the leader of the tribe, Yelana, cried out as she got out from her tent. Honeymaren's brother, Ryder, was with some of the reindeer at the time, and he was horrified upon seeing his sister in danger.

"Honeymaren!" he cried out as he rushed over them.

Elsa looked at the spirits, desperately thinking of a way to calm them down without escalating this. However, her mind ended up blank. As Bruni's flames caught onto one of the trees, she gasped and shot her ice towards it, dissipating the flames.

"Alright, that's enough!" she said as she stomped onto the ground, freezing the ground and causing Bruni to slip, dissipating his fires. The Nokk and Gale felt her powers, and they stopped, turning to look at her. Elsa panted as she looked at the spirits. Then, she looked at Gale.

"Gale…what was that?" she asked, voice quivering at the memory of those images. Gale chirped as she moved closer to Elsa. Elsa looked at her as she bit her lips.

"Elsa." Yelana said as she approached her, concerned. Elsa gulped as she looked at Yelana.

"Yelana, Gale has sensed some type of evil. And those images that I saw…" she said as she shook her head, not noticing that she was turning white.

"What images? What did Gale show you?" she asked. Elsa, after a moment, looked at Yelana.

"There was this giant man. He was surrounded by fire, and he had a giant sword of nothing but flames…Yelana, do you know of anybody like that?" she asked. Yelana looked down, and after a moment of thinking, shook her head.

"I'm not sure. Are there any other details regarding this man?" she asked. Elsa shook her head.

"No. The images that I saw got closer to the man's face, but it went by so fast that I couldn't see any features. However, I did see red eyes." she said. Yelana continued pondering for a moment, and Elsa turned to Gale.

"Gale, where did you sense this 'evil'?" she asked. Gale changed its shape towards a familiar castle. Elsa, upon recognizing it, widened her eyes.

"Arendelle…" she said as she looked at her hands. "Anna…" she said as she grew determined. She turned to the others.

"I've got to head back. Anna and the others could be in danger!" she said as she walked towards the Nokk and climbing on top of him, using her powers to turn his body into snow so he could walk on land. "Bruni, Gale, you coming?" she then asked. Bruni nodded as he ran over to her and leaped onto her hand. Gale stayed nearby.

"Elsa, wait!" Honeymaren called out. Elsa turned to look at her. "What is going on? Do you need our help?" she asked. Elsa shook her head.

"No need. You all stay safe!" she ordered. The others nodded, before Elsa guided the Nokk forward and they ran from the village, across the land, and eventually to the sea. Bruni hung on by the shoulder, and Gale flying behind her.

Elsa stared ahead, hoping to get to Arendelle in time and protecting her sister, her friends, and the kingdom from what is coming…

* * *

**AN: Hey, everyone. superkoola here!**

**Another chapter of Frozen 3 Ashes down and over with! I like how I did with this one, but I am a bit worried I might've made the Northuldra people…well, not in character. But aside from that, I…really don't have much to say aside from: everyone's gonna have a big surprise coming up next chapter!**

**That's all I have to say. Hope you enjoy it, please be respectful if you think differently, and stick around for more!**


	6. Chapter 5: Problems Arise

Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Kai arrived at the castle gates where a man was waiting with other members of the Arendelle Royal Guards. The man was in his late 30s and is wearing an attire that suggests he is a veterinarian of sorts.

Once Anna got off Sven, she briefly saw the general of the Royal Guard, Mattias. The two smiled and nodded at one another before Anna approached Kai, who gestured his hand to the man.

"Your majesty; the Arendelle lead veterinarian, Johan Eivid." he greeted. Anna nodded to him as well before looking at Johan.

"Your majesty, I am terribly sorry to inconvenience you this early on today. But, as you may have been informed, this is a situation that could be dire in the near future." he explained. Anna shook her head with a smile.

"Oh, don't worry. You're not troubling me at all." she said with a small chuckle, before straightening herself. "So, you informed our steward that there are two dead cows and that it had something to do with a fire-breathing animal?" she asked for clarification. Johan nodded.

"Of course. If you and the Royal Guard will come with me, you will find my claims to be...well, believable. Because no matter how many times I say it, I...phew, it needs to be seen to be believed." he muttered. Anna pondered for a moment, before nodding.

Then, the cavalry is underway!

During the trip, Anna began to have thoughts about what she has learned so far.

" _This could be a major threat to my kingdom,"_ she thought to herself before her eyes wandered over to Carolus and his fire abilities. _"Is Carolus hiding something from me? No...he couldn't possibly do such a thing. Unless..."_ she thought as well, gritting her teeth in fear for the boy.

* * *

Before long, they have arrived at the outskirts of Arendelle, where they could see a farm with a large field.

Anna could see a large field where there are people inspecting two dead bulls. Anna winced at the sight of the carcasses: their stomachs were torn open, one of the bull's head seems to be torn away, and the worst part is that there were burn marks all over the carcasses, making them look like they were torched. Anna winced at it.

"Oh my god..." she said. Kristoff turned to her and he too winced at the sight. Then, he turned to her.

"Just like with the wolf at the mountain." he said with a concerned look. Anna looked at him, and then at the bull.

* * *

Later, Anna, Kristoff, Johan, and a middle-aged man who is the owner of the farm walked over to one of the carcasses. Johan knelt to show them the wounds.

"You see here. The claw marks here are around 5 inches across, meaning that this could be a very large creature. The pattern of this mark doesn't seem to match that of a bear, however." he explained, pointing to the scars. Anna gritted her teeth, while Kritsoff responded with,

"If it's not a bear, much less one that breathes fire, then what could it be?" he asked. Johan shrugged.

"I'm not sure. However, taking a look at this, plus the bite marks on the throat area," he replied as he moved his hand towards the throat. "it reminds me a bit of a panther." he finished.

"Panther? There are no panthers in Norway." Anna said. Johan nodded.

"I believe you. However, I used to work as a vet in South Africa, so I can tell what animal made such scars. And in South Africa, the animal whose injuries resemble these the most are leopards.

"However, that doesn't explain the burns. Kristoff?" he asked, turning to Kristoff. "During your time in the woods while gathering ice, have you, by any chance, seen anything similar to this?"

"Matter of fact, I have." Kristoff began before he told him the story of what he saw last night with the burnt wolf carcass. Anna, meanwhile, focused on the burns. She slowly placed her hand on it, feeling the warmth from the body.

Anna sighed: a part of her felt relieved that Carolus couldn't have done this, but on the other hand, she did remember Carolus mentioning burning down his old home and that he would try to make new friends before Anna took him in. She then shook her head.

"That can't be...Carolus is still learning about his powers. He couldn't have made a creature capable of doing this...But if he does, then...oh god." she frowned as her heart grew heavy.

The quiet, busy air didn't stay that way for long, though...

Nearby, Sven was parked with the other horses. Kai was staying behind to tend to them. Sven could feel the horses looking at him weirdly. Sven tried to ignore this by acting all mighty. However, one of his antlers accidentally conked one of the horses. The horse glared at him and huffed intimidatingly. Sven cowered in fear, before remaining silent.

Then, Sven's ear picked up something from the woods. He perked his head up, accidentally conking the same horse again. The horse glared at him again, before noticing where Sven was glaring at. Then, they picked up a terrifying scent, and the horses began to panic.

Back at the farm, everyone turned their head to the horses, seeing them panic. General Mattias turned to one group.

"You three, go and help Kai calm the horses down!" he instructed before he turned to another group. "You four, stay with me and help guard the Queen!" he added. They nodded and followed their instructions.

"What's going on? Why are the horses panicking?" asked Anna as Kristoff held her close to him.

"Not sure. Stay close to me, Anna." he instructed.

_**GROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAA!** _

A loud roar emits from the forest nearby, and Sven and the horses entered into a frenzy. The guards tried to calm them down, but Sven ran from the group and ran towards Kristoff and Anna. Kristoff reached out towards him and gently stroke his nose. Anna looked ahead as she stared at the woods.

"What was that?!" she asked. Sven whimpered as he pressed against them.

"I've never heard a roar like THAT before!" Johan said as he stayed close to the couple and the guards.

Soon, Anna got her answer.

Coming out from the trees stepped what could only be described as a beast from the fiery depths of Hell itself! The creature resembles a panther from hell, with spikes along each side of the crook where the neck meets the head. There was lava dripping down from its jaw, and there are even hints of blood around the creature's jaw. The creature itself is gigantic: to the hips, it is about as tall as a Polar Bear on all fours, with 27 feet in length and around 2 tons.

Anna, Kristoff, and everybody else looked on with horror as the Hell-Panther looked at its surroundings.

"What...what in the hell is that?" muttered Anna under her breath. Kristoff shook his head.

"It...It looks like a panther coated in fire." Johan said, but he mostly kept it to itself. The Hell-Panther then turned its head towards the carcass next to Anna and Kristoff. The guards got themselves ready as they prepare to defend their royalty with their lives. The Hell-Panther then began to move forward, eyeing the humans nearby.

Kristoff then guided Anna, Johan, and the guards to move back to give it space. Kristoff knew that if they fired the first shot, the panther would not only be probably unaffected by their weaponry, but it will most certainly attack back, and the body-count would be too high.

As the Hell-Panther approached the carcass, it stops...before turning its head towards Anna. Anna gasped to herself as she grasped onto Kristoff, and the guards got their weapons ready. The panther took notice of this and began eyeing the swords and spears.

Then, its nose flared, and its head perked up once more, towering over the guards. One of the guards became jittery and he aimed his crossbow at it. Kristoff shook his head.

"Don't! You'll cause it to attack!" he instructed.

"Private, listen to Kristoff!" Mattias instructed. The panicking guard was reluctant, but he capitulated and lowered his weapon.

The Hell-Panther, meanwhile, looked at Anna. The two of them eyed one another, the Queen unable to look away as the Hell-Panther sniffed again. The creature's eyes narrowed as if it were suspicious of something. Anna's heart raced as her throat became dry. She held onto Kristoff, praying that it would just go away.

The Hell-Panther then lowered its head as it turned back towards the carcass, and bit into it. Then, the panther then turned around and began to walk back into the woods, carrying the prized bull back with it. Nobody moved until they were sure the creature is gone.

Once the coast is clear, Mattias and the other guards inspected every one to see if they're alright. Anna looked at Johan, and then at Kristoff. All of them are speechless about what is going on.

"Your majesty?" asked Mattias as he and Kai approached her. Anna looked up.

"Are you alright?" asked Kai. Anna nodded.

"Yes...I'm just worried." she said. General Mattias nodded as he knelt down.

"Anna. With your permission, I will send out a hunting party of some of our best men to track down and kill the beast." he suggested. Kai nodded.

"We can prevent any citizens of Arendelle from entering the nearby forests until then." he added. Anna looked at them and nodded.

"Yes...but it's not JUST the people and the kingdom I'm worried about." she said. Kai and Mattias became confused.

"What is it?" asked Mattias. Anna looked down, for a moment in her thoughts, thinking about Carolus. She feared that if the guards find out about him in a not-so-pleasant circumstance, they could connect him to the beast, and then...With a gulp, she stood up and looked at Mattias.

"Can you please gather the guards? I have to tell you all something." she said. Mattias nodded, and the guards gathered around for the message Anna must deliver.

* * *

Back at Arendelle, Olaf and Carolus were wandering around the town, the snowman talking to him about various trivia facts.

"Did you know that clownfish can change from boys to girls?" he asked. Carolus raised his brows.

"They do?" he asked.

"Yep! It's true. Sometimes, whenever there is a situation that the clownfish need to do the 'special time', the biggest clownfish changes to a female in order for it to work! Imagine if people have the same ability!" Olaf explained with excitement. Carolus, however, looked anything but excited upon hearing this news.

"Uh...can people do that?" he asked. Olaf pondered for a moment and then shook his head.

"Not to my knowledge, no." he replied. Carolus sighed in relief as he grasped his hands together. Then, he noticed the dirt on his gloves and winced.

"Oh, they're dirty." he said. Olaf looked at them and chuckled.

"No need! I'll just have a friend clean them!" he said as he plucked the gloves off his hands. Carolus gasped as he hid his hands beneath his shoulders.

"Olaf, what are you doing?!" he said as he rushed after Olaf, who was approaching a nearby woman, who was cleaning some clothes.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" he asked. The woman looked down and smiled.

"Hi there, Olaf." she greeted. Olaf raised his hands, showing her the gloves just as Carolus approached him.

"If you're not busy, can you please clean my friend's clothes? We were busy playing in the dirt and he didn't realize how dirty they were." he explained, innocently. The woman cringed as she saw how dirty the gloves were.

"Oooh...sure thing, Olaf...and uh, who are you?" she asked as she eyed Carolus. Olaf smiled as he patted Carolus.

"This is the friend whose gloves needed cleaning. Lady, meet Carolus. Carolus, meet Lady." he said. Carolus gave a shy smile as the woman smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Carolus. So, you need these gloves cleaned?" she asked.

"No!" Carolus said.

"Yes!" Olaf said at the exact same time, briefly confusing the woman. Carolus shook his head.

"I...I mean...you know, yes. You can clean them. Sorry..." he said. The woman, while unsure, smiled as she turned around.

"Of course. Hey, I'm curious: are these gloves important to you?" she asked upon seeing Carolus's posture. Carolus nodded.

"More than you know." he replied. The woman nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry. It will only take a few minutes." she assured before she turned away to clean them. Carolus sighed as he looked at Olaf.

"Don't take away my gloves like that again!" he scolded. Olaf pouted.

"Sorry. I just didn't want your hands dirty." he said. Carolus frowned and looked at his hands. Olaf looked as well.

"Don't worry, Carolus! In the meantime, we can stay here and watch the town!" he said as he sat on one of the crates. Carolus nodded as he sat next to him. The two of them watched the entire town, with the people enjoying the day as they always have.

"So...do you like it here in Arendelle?" he asked. Carolus nodded.

"It looks nice, Olaf. I wanna be like them." he said as he pointed to a group of children. Olaf noticed the children chasing one another, with the adults nearby looking over them while making sure they don't do much damage.

"You see how these children are playing without a care in the world? How they don't have to worry about hurting people?" he asked. Olaf nodded.

"That's the bright side of youth. Nothing but pure innocence, with the ravages of time, not yet encroaching their minds as of yet, therefore preserving their innocence from reality for the time being." he said as he tries to put up a poetic voice. Carolus raised his brows. Olaf giggled. "Forgive me, young one. It is simply my maturity. I have been in this world for three years, and I know a LOT about things." he said.

"So you're three?" he asked. Olaf nodded. Carolus then nodded in understanding, before he raised his brow.

"I don't know if you're that mature. I mean, you ate our cake like a child." Carolus teased, mentioning the incident in the kitchen. Olaf pouted.

"Hey, that cake was delicious! And I didn't say I was completely mature!" he said as he gently poked Carolus on the nose, making him laugh.

Then, there were some chirping noises, and Olaf smiled upon recognizing it.

"Oooh, it's Gale!" he said. Soon, Gale swooped back down and looked directly at them...or rather, specifically at Carolus. Gale then chirped again before flying away. Olaf and Carolus looked at where she was going until they saw something on top of the water. Olaf gasped in delight, while Carolus widened his eyes in pure terror.

There, running along the waters on top of a water horse heading towards the dock was Elsa!

Elsa and Nokk soon made it towards the shore. Olaf giggled in delight.

"Elsa! You're here! Did Anna send you an invite?!" he asked as he wobbled over to her. Some of the other citizens, mostly children, ran over to her as well. Carolus, however, remained in place. Fear began to overtake him, and he began to pant in fright, skin growing pale. He wasn't paying attention to his hands, which were glowing a bright red.

" _W-Wha...what is SHE doing here?!"_ he thought to himself Elsa disembarked Nokk, and Nokk disappearing into the water.

"Hi, Elsa!" Olaf greeted. The children approached her with delight. Elsa gave a friendly smile, but she ushered them to be quiet.

"Hi Olaf, hey kids. Listen, now's not a good time. I'm here because...what is it, Gale?" she explained before Gale brushed beside her. Gale chirped before pointing to Carolus. Carolus's eyes widened even more. Elsa raised a brow.

"Wait...THAT'S him?" she asked, growing confused. Carolus continued to hyperventilate before his eyes notice smoke coming from both his sides. At this point, the children screamed in fright. Carolus screamed as well as he stepped aside. Elsa gasped and she shot her ice powers at the crate, putting out the fire, but nearly hitting Carolus's shoulders. Carolus yelped as he grasped his shoulder, before turning to Elsa. Elsa looked at him with fright, not intending to nearly hit him. However, Carolus's panicked mind made him think she attacked him.

Carolus then lets out a high-pitched scream of terror as the flames surrounding him intensified, before he ran away. Elsa gasped as she puts out the fire with her powers.

"Wait! Sweetie, wait! I didn't mean to nearly hit you!" she called out.

" **STAY AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!"** pleaded Carolus as the fire began to spread to the other stands. Elsa had to pause for a moment to put out the flames. The other citizens screamed as they ran off to get away from the flames. Olaf, however, stayed behind to get Carolus.

"Carolus, wait! Elsa didn't mean it!" he called out. Elsa turned to him, confused.

"Olaf, stay away from the fire!" she said as she tries to extinguish the flames. Carolus continued running towards the castle, screaming and crying to himself as the flames continue to grow even bigger.

"Kid, wait! Please, calm down!" Elsa called out as she both ran towards him and puts out the nearby flames. Olaf, staying behind her, then told her.

"He's afraid of you! He can't think clearly!" he said. Elsa turned to him.

"Afraid? Why would he be afraid?!" Elsa asked as the flames grew even bigger.

_**HHuuuaaaaaaaaa!** _

Elsa and Olaf's eyes widened as they turned to the wall of flame in front of them, and their skin paled as a large hand emerged from the flames and swatted at them, barely missing Elsa by a few millimeters.

Nearby, Bruni, Gale, and Nokk were watching the whole thing, and they could tell Elsa needs help. Bruni wants to go ahead, but Nokk neighed sternly, reminding Bruni mentally that since he is of the fire element, he could make it worse. Gale chirped, mentally telling Bruni to find Anna while she and Nokk went to help. Bruni hesitated, but nodded in understanding as he rushed off to get help. Meanwhile, Gale and Nokk rushed in, ready to help.

Elsa sprayed her magic onto the flames, but another roar forced her to look ahead of her. There, a large, humanoid being emerged from the flames. The head is that of a flaming human skull with horns. The demonic creature roared at Elsa as it prepared to slam its hand down on her. However, Nokk's waves managed to knock the creature back. Gale's strong gust of wind help extinguishes the flames surrounding Elsa and Olaf. Elsa smiled and then looked at Olaf.

"Now, GO Olaf! Get Anna! Gale, Nokk, and I will hold off this beast!" she instructed. Olaf didn't need to be told twice, as he rushed away, leaving the three elements to take care of the demonic being in flames.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna, Kristoff, and the others were walking back to the castle when Mattias noticed something in the distance.

"Hang on a minute...what is that?" he asked as he went ahead. Anna, Kristoff, and Sven followed his gaze, and their eyes widened.

"Is that...fire?! On Arendelle?!" Kristoff asked in surprise. Anna gasped in horror.

"Oh no, the people are down there! Wait a minute, how did the fire...oh GOD, _**CAROLUS!"**_ Anna shrieked.

"Anna! Anna!" Olaf's voice rang in the distance. Anna and Kristoff turned their heads to the direction of the voice, and they saw Olaf with Bruni.

"Anna! Elsa's here, and Carolus is causing a firestorm!" he said. Anna gasped in fright.

"Elsa?! What could she be doing here?! Kristoff, take us there now!" she demanded as she picked up Olaf. Kristoff nodded as he turned ahead.

"Alright, men! LEt's get going! The people need us!" he ordered. The guards nodded as they rushed forward after him.

* * *

Soon, they arrived at Arendelle, and it was chaos, to say the least. There were flames encroaching the buildings, people were screaming about, and in the distance, Anna could see Elsa's ice blasts hitting a large humanoid demon. She gasped in fright.

"No! Hold on, Elsa! I'm coming!" she said. Kristoff tried to get over to her, but some nearby flames intercepted him, nearly burning him.

"Damn it! Anna!" he called out, but Anna was already rushing ahead. Mattias approached him, and Kristoff turned to him.

"Mattias! I need some of your men to help me get to Anna! The rest can help with the evacuations!" he instructed. Mattias nodded.

"Don't have to say it twice! You three, go with him! The rest of you, with me! We've got civilians to evacuate!" he ordered. Three guards approached Kristoff as he lowers the flames just enough for him to get through, while the rest followed after Mattias.

In the inferno, Anna rushed alongside the flames, looking for Elsa. Everywhere she saw, she saw nothing but tall fire turning the sky gray. She gritted her teeth: she should've just sent a message to Elsa earlier! If she did that, then none of this would've happened!

"Elsa!" called out Anna as she approaches the town square, where she saw Elsa blasting away the demonic figure. Elsa heard her voice and turned to look at her, and she became surprised.

"Anna! We've talked about it! You can't just run after me into the fire!" she said as she dodged another fiery fist. The creature roared as Anna got closer.

"And I've told you: Don't run into the fire!" Anna called out. Elsa narrowed her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault. I came here because Gale sensed some evil being within Arendelle. Next thing I knew, this kid with fire powers screamed at seeing me, and he caused this!" she explained as the creature up once more.

"Carolus is not like that!" Anna replied as they looked on. Elsa looked a bit confused at this.

"Wait, Carolus?! Is that his name?!" shouted Elsa. Anna nodded.

"Yes. He's my son!" she cried out. Elsa widened her eyes.

"SON?!" she asked. The creature roared at them, but Elsa stomped onto the ground, creating an ice wall, blocking the creature temporarily. Anna nodded.

"Yes. I'll explain later! Where is he?!" she shouted. Elsa, still stunned by this revelation, then pointed at the direction of the castle.

"H-He went to the castle! I don't know WHERE though, he created this wall to protect himself!" she said as the creature's fire began to envelop the ice wall. Anna nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna go and try to calm him down! He's just scared of seeing you, that's all!" she said as she turned around. Elsa looked at her in worry before looking ahead.

"Gale! Keep Anna safe! Nokk and I can take care of this!" she instructed. Gale chirped in response and flew after Anna, just as the creature bursts through the wall and roared at her. Nokk's wave slammed onto him again, and the creature roared in agony. Elsa gritted her teeth as she shot her powers at the beast.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna was rushing towards the castle past the flames. Some of the flames sprouted out other fiery creature, only for Gale to push them aside with a strong gust of wind. Anna smiled.

"Thanks, Gale!" she called out as she arrived at the castle doors. She pushed them open and saw the fiery trail leading inside. With a sigh, she rushed forward and into the castle. Once she got inside, she got a breath of fresh air. The interior is not as affected as the outside of the kingdom, but there is still a fiery trail that could lead to further damage is not careful.

"Carolus?! Carolus, where are you?!" she called out as she rushed inside, following the trail.

As she approached a hallway leading to her bedroom, she heard sobbing and whimpering coming from inside the room. Anna recognized it immediately and rushed over to the door.

"Carolus?" called out Anna as she grabbed the handle. Thankfully, it was unlocked, and she walked inside. There, she saw a small, rocky igloo, barely large enough to fit a child inside. There, she heard the crying and whimpering coming from inside.

"Hey, baby. Baby, I'm here." she said as she got on all fours and peered inside. There, she could see the crying form of Carolus covering his face, crying to himself. He looked up and stared at her.

"I...I thought Elsa wasn't coming today. You said she wouldn't be here." he whimpered. Anna nodded.

"I know. And it's a hundred percent my fault, Carolus. But you've gotta settle down, baby. Your fire is causing destruction all over Arendelle." she explained. Carolus shook his head.

"No. She hurt me! She hurt me for being different! She needs to go away!" he cried out, looking at Anna. Anna gritted her teeth, knowing Elsa won't just go away simply because a seven-year-old told her to. With a deep breath, she grabbed onto the igloo and looked at the floor.

"Carolus, I know that Elsa didn't mean to hurt you. She was just concerned for me, that's all. You would do the same thing, wouldn't you?" she asked.

"But SHE'S not the only that sets the town ablaze!" he called out. Anna flinched at this, but Carolus continued. "And you weren't there! You left me! She almost killed me, and you weren't there! You just left me!" he said, before breaking down into another wailing sob. Anna gritted her teeth again, now feeling like she's about to cry herself. Taking in a deep, but hitched, breath, she looked inside again.

"I know that, Carolus. And I'm really sorry about that. All of this is my fault. I've...I've failed you as a parent." she began, covering her mouth for a brief moment. Carolus just cried again, before Anna gulped in another sob.

"But from here on out...I won't make the same mistake again. Carolus...please. Give me another chance. I want to be with you as you grow up. I want to help you be a much better person than you are now. But...how can I help if you shut me out?" she asked, feeling her heart quiver as she says that. This, to her, is definitely a repeat of her childhood with Elsa.

"How can I let you help me? How would I know I won't hurt you?" asked Carolus. Anna then sat down and gulped again as she looked at the entrance.

"Remember, Carolus. Think happy thoughts. Love is the key." she said as she ran her fingers on the entrance.

**Little Mr. Flame**

**Reaching out in shame.**

**So many things that's owed to you.**

**There's no time for screaming.**

Inside the igloo, Carolus listened to her voice, and he slowly moved his hands away. He gulped as he stared ahead, seeing Anna's shadow. He listened to her words as Anna continued to sing.

**Little Mr. Flame.**

**Let your light shine beyond all blame.**

**Don't grow up fast in fear.**

**Save some time for playing.**

**Settle in**

**Settle down.**

**Let me see that warm smile on your face.**

**And realize.**

**I will love you, completely and always.**

Now Carlous's heart yearned for her. Carlous's hands then began to glow red once more. This time, the rocks surrounding him soon began to disappear. The flame path leading into the room soon disappears, as well as the damage done to it, caused by the flames.

Outside, the flames began to dissipate as they retract back into the castle. Kristoff, who was inside the ruins searching for Anna noticed this and followed the flames towards the castle. Meanwhile, Elsa noticed that the demonic being seemed to be calming down. Soon, he began to disappear back into the flames as they flow away and disappear. The damaged buildings caused by the flames seem to be repaired almost instantly. Elsa and Nokk look relieved before she too followed the flames to see where they're going.

**Little Mr. Flame.**   
**The Queens loving voices, call on your name.**   
**No one knows you like I do.**

Anna smiled as she sees the damage being undone. She then took a good look at Carolus, who was standing up, his hands absorbing all of the power he had unleashed. Anna then reached her hands out as the mist brushed past her, a warm, motherly smile on her face.

**And Little Mr. Flame.**   
**Stay with me as I call your name.**   
**Don't flicker out, in fear.**

Carolus gulped as a smile came onto her face. She was being genuine about how she feels for him. After everything he's done...she still doesn't see him as a monster. With a laugh that sounds a bit like crying, he rushed over to her and gave her a hug.

**Shine on...**

Anna hugged the little boy, a smile on her face, mixed with the tears of sorrow, relief, and joy mixed as she buried her face against his.

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I'm so sorry..." he whimpered. Anna rocked him slightly.

"Shh. It's okay. You did it, sweetie." she cooed softly. Carolus pulled back and raised a brow. Anna nodded as she picked him up and showed him the outside. Carolus looked on with awe.

"I...I did that?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yes, you did. You let in my love, and that helps gain control of your powers." she said as they stared at the scene. She then turned to look at Carolus.

"Carolus?" asked Anna. Carolus turn to look at her, and he could see Anna holding in tears of her own as a smile was on her face.

"I know we just met like, yesterday. But...I've never been any prouder of you than right now. I'm so happy that I can call you my son." she cooed softly, before pulling him into another hug. Carolus felt like he wanted to cry again, so he returned the favor with a hug of his own.

"I...I love you so much, mommy." he said with a whimpering voice. Anna responded by kissing him in the neck.

"I love you too, Carolus. Always will, until the end of time." she cooed back.

The two hugged each other for what felt like an eternity. However, the two of them, and their friends and family will soon learn that all of THAT was JUST the beginning of something greater...

* * *

**AN: Hey, everyone. superkoola here!**

**Phew, this is the most dedicated I have been with a chapter in a while! I felt a string of emotions while making this, and I especially almost cried near the end!**

**Also, the song "Little Mr. Flame" was given by a good friend called SORARULES23. Thank you so much for this, comrade!**

**Anyways, that's all I have to say. Hope you enjoy it, please be respectful if you disagree, and stick around for more!**


	7. Chapter 6: Revelations

Thanks to the quick thinking of Anna, Arendelle was saved from being a fiery wasteland. However, Carolus and even Anna are fearful of how the Aredenllians are gonna react to what had caused this.

Inside one of the castle rooms, Carolus was sitting with Olaf, Sven, and Kristoff while Anna and Elsa are explaining to the citizens about what had happened. Carolus could hear Anna telling them about him. Kristoff looked at him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, little guy. The people here at Arendelle will certainly forgive you. Besides, the fire wasn't there for too long! In addition, the damage done by the flames was undone!" he explained in a cheery voice. Sven gently nudged against the back of the boy's head affectionately. Carolus looked at him and shook his head.

"Yeah...but I'm scared of what the people will still think of me regardless." he said. Olaf smiled at this comfortingly.

"Aww, this is not the first time they've had their kingdom nearly engulfed by an elemental power! I don't know if you know this, but there is an Eternal Winter caused by Elsa, and yet people still forgive her!" he explained, which Kristoff and Sven agreed to. Carolus nodded.

"I know of that, Olaf. While that is true...ice and snow are different from fire. Would you rather jump in a pile of snow or in a field of fire?" he asked the two of them. Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf were about retort when Carolus's question really struck their minds.

"Oh...good point, honestly." Olaf said. Carolus nodded in satisfaction, before the door into the room opened, and in stepped an exasperated Anna and Elsa.

"Phew, it was a bit tough to explain everything, but they DID mostly calm down." Anna said. Carolus stared at the two at them, and even though Anna's presence made him feel safe, Elsa's presence still puts him on edge. The two noticed this, and Anna was the first to approach him.

"Hey, sweetie. The citizens of the kingdom are alright. And they don't hate you." she said with assurance, sitting down next to him. Carolus's frowned lit up for a moment, but he still tried to give a smile.

"That's...good, I guess." he replied. Anna pouted for a moment, but she gave a small pat. Then, she frowned a bit.

"Hey, um Carolus? Um, Elsa wants to talk to you." she said. Carolus shivered for a bit, but he nodded as Anna gently squeezed his hand. At this point, Olaf gasped.

"Oh, your gloves! I've gotta go back and get them! I'll be back!" he said as he then rushed off. The four looked at where Olaf went for a moment before Elsa gently approached.

"Hi, sweetie." she cooed softly. Carolus gulped as he looked at her, slightly shivering. Elsa noticed this and shook her head as she gently raised her hands. "It's alright, Carolus. I would never even dream of hurting you." she said.

"T-Then what about what happened earlier?" he asked, referring to when Elsa nearly hits him while she was putting out his flames. Elsa frowned at this.

"That was an accident, Carolus. The fire was too close to you, and you were moving too fast." she explained.

"I...I didn't expect you to be there! H-How did you even know I was there?" he asked. Elsa twiddled with her thumbs.

"I, I was told by one of my friends, Gale, about some great evil in Arendelle. So, I arrived as fast as I could with Nokk, Gale, and Bruni." she explained. Carolus rose his brows.

"Gale? I-I recognize her. She came in when Anna and I first woke up this morning. She was playful, even messed up my hair," he began, making Anna smile slightly. "Then, when I showed her my fire powers, she just panicked and flew out of the room." he explained. Elsa nodded in understanding.

"I see." she said. At this point, Bruni leaped up onto Elsa's shoulders and squeaked. Elsa smiled at him. Carolus, however, freaked out slightly.

"Is that a salamander?" he asked. Elsa nodded as she placed Bruni on her hands.

"Not just any salamander. This is Bruni, the fire spirit." she said. Carolus perked his head in interest as Bruni inspected Carolus.

"Fire? Like me?" he asked. Elsa nodded with a smile.

"Yes. You can say hi to him if you want. He won't bite." she insisted. Carolus, while anxious, gently raised his hand and waved.

"Hi, Bruni." he greeted. Bruni squeaked as he approached Carolus and sniffed him. Then, it squeaked again and scurried behind Elsa's neck, terrified. Carolus frowned.

"Even HE'S scared of me." he said. Anna and Kristoff gently rubbed his left arm and back respectively. Elsa frowned as well.

"He's still a bit scared from what happened earlier." she explained. Carolus then looked at her.

"Elsa...are you scared of me?" he asked. Elsa's eyes perked at this, and she shook her head.

"Of course not. I'm not afraid of you." she replied. Carolus slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Elsa." he replied. Elsa smiled assuringly at him again and shook her head.

"Why would I lie about something as serious as this?" she asked. Carolus looked at her again, and much like with Anna, he could hear the sincerity in Elsa's voice. Even if there is a small, yet persisting sense of doubt in his mind, he thought to himself,

" _Anna was right about love controlling my powers, which saved Arendelle...and if that's true, then maybe she was, indeed, serious about what she said about Elsa yesterday..."_

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Elsa and nodded slightly.

"I...trust you...a bit, but I trust you..." he replied with some uncertainty. Everyone, but especially Elsa and Anna, nodded at this.

"Thank you, Carolus." Elsa said as she gently reached her hand to give him a gentle pat on the knee, only for Carolus to instinctively pull his leg to the side. Elsa frowned a bit but nodded in understanding as she pulled her hand back. Anna shrugged with a small giggle.

"Baby steps, Elsa. Baby steps." she said with a giggle. Elsa nodded, just as Olaf came rushing back.

"I've got the gloves!" Olaf said with a happy expression! Carolus gasped slightly and reached out for them. Elsa looked at the gloves as he puts them on and winced upon seeing them on the boy. It reminds her SO MUCH of her past. Carolus noticed and shrugged slightly.

"Better safe than sorry. I know mom says that it's not good, but...I guess I still don't trust myself." he said. Anna shook her head.

"Oh, sweetie..." she said as she gently took her hand. Then, Elsa asked,

"Carolus...if you don't mind me asking; how did you get your powers?"

Carolus frowned even more at this and moistened his lips as he held his shoulders together.

"I...I don't know if I want to talk about it." he explained. Elsa and Anna frowned at this, the latter especially knowing the nightmare he explained last night, and how she thinks it might have something to do with how he got his powers.

"It's fine, Carolus...Hey, you should probably get some rest. Elsa and I need to talk for a moment." she said. Carolus nodded, wanting to get the day over with. "Hey, Kristoff, can you take him to my room so he can nap?" asked Anna. Kristoff nodded as he gently picked up Carolus and carried him away from the room, with Sven and Olaf following him. Once they were alone, Kristoff looked at Carolus, who was lying his head on his shoulder.

"Hey, Carolus." he said. Carolus looked up at him. Kristoff smiled. "That was very brave of you to do." he said. Carolus raised a brow.

"What? Stop the fire?" he asked.

"No...I mean, that's also brave to do." he said after shaking his head and then giving a slight nod and shrug. "What I mean is; it was brave of you to trust Elsa. Even though you're scared of her, you're still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. That's not something a lot of people are willing to do when they're scared of someone." he explained. Carolus smiled as he nodded.

"Yeah...I remember Anna sounding serious when she said that Elsa would LOVE to meet me. And then I thought, if she was serious about love helping with my powers, which it did as you saw, then...well, you know." he explained. Kristoff nodded in understanding.

"Yeah...makes you a far better kid than anyone could ever imagine." he explained. Carolus smiled as he then snuggled up against him. Kristoff chuckled as he held the boy closely to him as he took him to Anna's room for his nap.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna and Elsa were discussing about Carolus. Elsa looked at Anna with shock and sympathy.

"He accidentally burned his hometown?" she asked. Anna nodded as she rubbed her shoulders.

"Since then, I guess he just found his way to Arendelle where he stayed at this orphanage run by Miss Bonita. And...oh dear, what a time it was for him." she explained. Elsa was curious, so Anna explained to her that during his time there, Carolus would tell of the times Miss Bonita would emotionally manipulate him into keeping his powers silent, either by reminding him of his accident, or even shaming him for using them, and how it didn't help that the other kids wouldn't play with him due to accidents of him burning their stuff, and even picked on him because of this.

Once Elsa got the information...phew...

Anna could see Elsa clenching her left fist, and her eyes narrowing as she processed this information. Bruni and now Gale yelped as they moved away from her and to Anna's back. Anna couldn't blame them: Elsa hardly got mad, but the once or twice she DID...well, let's say that by the end of it, the entire castle looked like a Haunted Mansion with spikes in the interior.

"That...that son of a...how DARE she?!" she growled, snowflakes flashing from her hands. Anna gulped to herself as she took in a deep breath.

"I know, Elsa. I'm mad as well. B-But I already reprimanded her for this already." she assured as she approached her. Elsa glared at her.

"I know that. It's just that...Ooh, I don't even know what to say, that's how mad I am." she said as the ice slowly began to expand from her feet. Anna noticed this as she approached her.

"I understand you're mad as well. But please, settle down! You'll freeze the castle, and maybe make Carolus be more afraid of you!" she explained, grasping her shoulders. Elsa's anger somewhat dissipates upon hearing this, and she took in several deep breaths. This made the ice recede back to her, and before long, Elsa was calm. She frowned and looked at Anna.

"Sorry, Anna...I just can't believe they'd do this to a child. Especially one that...is like me. How long has he endured this?" she asked.

"Three years." she replied. Elsa sighed as she shook her head.

"Why would she do this? Doesn't she know that keeping it all in won't help his situation at all? I mean, look at me!" Elsa explained. Anna nodded as she sighed to herself and looked down on the floor.

"I'm sure she knows about this...which, as you said, leads to the question of...why? Why _would_ she do this?" she asked. Elsa nodded in agreement. Then, after slightly pacing about for a moment, she turned to Anna with a resolve.

"I'm gonna head to the orphanage and find out." she said. Anna nodded.

"I'm going with you. I need to know as well." she said. Elsa then shook her head.

"No, Anna. I need you to stay with Carolus. He needs you right now." she said. Anna was taken aback slightly, but Elsa continues. "Anna, Carolus needs you. I haven't been there to see what's happening since yesterday, but if the fact that him panicking at my sight is anything to go by, he is clearly not ready to be by himself. He loves you, Anna." she said as she gently cupped her cheeks with her hands. Anna, after seeing Elsa's plea, then capitulated.

"Alright...anyways, I did promise not to leave him again." she replied. Elsa nodded with a smile, before Anna said, "Just don't lose your cool...okay, that pun wasn't intended, but you get the idea." she said. Elsa chuckled as she gently patted her cheek.

"I understand." she said before the two hugged one another once more. Gale and Bruni approached them and pressed themselves against Anna and Elsa respectively, making the two chuckled before Anna began to walk away.

"Alright, Elsa. I'm gonna see Kristoff and Carolus. Take care." she said. Elsa nodded with a smile as Anna closed the door. Once she was alone, Elsa frowned to herself as she looked on the ground. Gale and Bruni chirped in curiosity and Elsa gently groomed Bruni, still looking at the floor.

* * *

Later, Anna was with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, watching sleepy Carolus resting nearby. Olaf was also tired from the day and fell asleep as well, and so did Sven. Anna and Kristoff smiled at the scene before the former frowned. Kristoff looked at her and grew concerned.

"What's wrong, Anna?" he asked. Anna sighed sadly as she gulped.

"This...this is shouldn't have happened. I should've either stayed with him, or...or maybe I would've brought him with us!" she said as a small amount of guilt began to seep from her voice. Kristoff held her close as she continued.

"He...he blamed me. And he was right...Kristoff, I don't know what to do! That was an important meeting, and I trusted him with Olaf, and he still panicked!" she whimpered.

"Hey, Anna. It's okay! Carolus's calm now, everything's alright." he comforted. Anna shook her head.

"It's not. I told him that in terms of danger, he's no more dangerous than Elsa. But...I'm scared of the people. Ice, while is still dangerous, is different from fire!" she whimpered. Kristoff was about to retort when he remembered what Carolus asked him and Olaf,

" _Ice and snow are different from fire. Would you rather jump in a pile of snow or in a field of fire?"_

"Yeah...Carolus asked me a good question, 'Would I rather jump in a pile of snow or in a field of fire'. That's...a pretty good point given the public conception of snow and fire." he explained. Anna just sighed sadly. However, Kristoff pushed her back as he gently cupped her cheek and made him look at her.

"But that doesn't mean we should give up, Anna. As you said, he just needs the right guidance. And if anyone can do it...well, other than Elsa, it is YOU." he said, as he wiped away the tears from her eyes. "YOU helped teach him that kindness and love help control his powers. You made him feel comfortable in the first day, and you even got him smiling and laughing, from what you told me. Heck, your singing helped him pull the fire back from Arendelle." he said with a smile. Anna grew a slight smile as Kristoff kissed her in the lips.

"In the day and a half that you've had him, you've proven to Olaf, to Elsa, to Sven, and to me that you are a far better mother than anyone would ever had expected. I'm sure even Carolus would agree with you." he said. Anna smiled as a small laugh escaped, and as she pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much, Kristoff!" she said with a smile. Kristoff smiled as he hugged her back. After a while, they pulled back and looked at Carolus. Kristoff smiled as he reached forward and gently caressed his hair, making Carolus moan slightly as he leaned into the touch. Anna giggled as she saw the scene. Then, as she sees the red hair and gloves, she then began to ponder to herself.

"You know, I'm thinking...how did Carolus get his powers?" she pondered. Kristoff quirked his brows.

"...Yeah, I'm thinking of this myself." he pondered. Anna then looked at Carolus and seeing him sleeping makes her frown for a moment, but she then reached her hand out.

"I've gotta wake him up for a bit. We've gotta know the answer." she said. Kristoff, even though he was a bit adamant of waking Carolus up so soon, nodded in agreement as Anna gently took shook Carolus's shoulder, making him groan.

"Ngh, what?" he asked as he lifted his head up. Anna gave a saddened smile.

"Sorry to wake you up, sweet pea. But uh, we need you to answer some important questions." she explained. Carolus raised his brows, but he nodded.

"Okay?" he asked, concerned. Kristoff and Anna looked at one another for a moment, before Anna cupped her hands together.

"Carolus, how did you get your powers?" she asked. Carolus raised his brows as he raised his brows and gently pushed a still-sleeping Olaf off him.

"What was that?" he asked, still feeling a bit drowsy. Anna repeated the question, and Carolus frowned again.

"Oh...how I got them...I...I don't really remember. It happened a while ago, and it happened so fast." he explained with a frown. The two frowned at this. Then, Carolus then brought up something strange.

"W-When I first got my powers, which is sometime before..." he paused, recalling the time he accidentally burned his home village, before shaking his head. "I _did_ remember a big man." he said. Anna and Kristoff perked their heads at this.

"Big man? What big man?" asked Kristoff as he leaned forward. Carolus scratched his head as he tries to ponder what he remembers.

"T-There is this big man, with a giant fiery sword. F-From what I can remember, he l-looked scary. The big man had red eyes, and a few sharp teeth. The worst part was how it spoke. It...It sounded mean, a-a-and scary. I don't understand him, but...i-i-it was so _scary_." he said as he fiddled with his thumbs, before rubbing his arms together. Anna and Kristoff frowned at Carolus beginning to shudder.

"...Does that man have a name?" he asked. Carolus shook his head with a shrug. Anna thought to herself, wondering that information might mean. Given what happened earlier, from what Elsa told her...this might be more serious than she had thought previously. With a small sigh, she looked Kristoff.

"Kristoff, I think this might mean we need to visit the trolls for this one." she said. Kristoff looked at her, confused.

"The trolls?" he asked. Anna nodded.

"Yes. If anybody might have an idea on the origins of his powers, it would be them." she said. Kristoff then nodded in understanding.

"Trolls? Like the ones that steal your socks?" he asked. Anna and Kristoff giggled as they shook their head.

"Nah. They're actually sweet little guys! A bit intrusive, but sweet, regardless!" he explained. Carolus just stared at him, tilting his head sideways. "I lived with them. So, that's why I know so much about them." he explained.

"Oh." went Carolus upon remembering what Anna told him about Kristoff earlier. Anna nodded as she then squeezed his left hand.

"So...do you want to come with us?" she offered. Carolus perked his head up at this. Anna continued with, "I know that you're tired, but I promised you that I wouldn't leave you alone again. So, you want to come along?"

Carolus, after processing her words, nodded as he straightened himself up.

"When can we go?" he asked with a small smile. Kristoff and Anna smiled at this.

* * *

Soon, everyone was in Kristoff's wagon with Sven leading the way. Anna was on the back of the wagon, holding a sleepy Carolus lying against his chest. She had allowed him to get some more shut-eye until they arrive at the valley. Anna looked down at Carolus and smiled as she slightly tightened her grip onto him, before nuzzling her head against his, making Carolus smile.

"We're gonna figure this out, Carolus, and everything will be alright...like always." Anna cooed softly, referring to her previous adventures in the past, and how all of them will turn out fine in the end.

Eventually, they have arrived at the valley. Once they stopped, Anna gently shook Carolus awake.

"Wake up, baby. We're here!" she said, making Carolus open his eyes slightly as he breathed in through his nose. He rubbed his eyes as he turned around to see the valley. However, he couldn't find anything that he thought were trolls.

"Um...where are they?" he asked. Kristoff chuckled as he got off the sled.

"They're here!" he said as he pointed to the rocks. Carolus looked confused, and Anna just giggled, knowing exactly how he's feeling.

"Just wait for it." she teased. Carolus remained confused, as Kristoff began to walk to the rocks.

"Hey, guys! We've got a special guest today!" he called out. Carolus slightly tightened his grip on Anna.

"Um, Anna, er, mom? Are you sure trolls raised him? Cause I don't see them. I think he's losing his mind." he whispered. Anna chuckled but gently smacked him in the back.

"No! Hehe, just watch." she gently scolded. Carolus, as he rubbed his back, then noticed the rocks began to move! Then, they uncurled to reveal short, stubby humanoids with green clothes. Carolus perked his head, making Anna laugh again.

"This is so like when _I_ first came here." she said to herself as the trolls brightened their smiles upon seeing Kristoff.

"Kristoff! How are you?!" a female troll greeted as she leaped up to his shoulders and hugged him. Kristoff choked for a moment.

"Ack! I'm great, Bulda!" he greeted. Carolus's jaw dropped, and Sven noticed, chuffing at seeing his reaction. Then, several smaller trolls leaped up and hugged Sven.

"The reindeer's back!" one of them said.

"We should ride it again!" said another. Anna chuckled as she shook her head.

"They're always like this, Carolus. Kristoff and I learned to just roll with it." she explained. Carolus nodded in understanding while he still wasn't too clear on what is happening. Then, one of the trolls turned to look at the two and gasped in delight.

"Kristoff and Anna had a child!" he pointed out, and the others turned to look at them, and they squealed in delight. Anna and Kristoff stuttered in confusion, while Carolus held onto her.

"Uh, that's not our child! I-I mean not by blood!" he said as he approached Anna. Some trolls stacked up beside her and Bulda was on top, inspecting Carolus...by pulling him closer to her.

"Hmm, bright eyes," she began before looking at his ears.

"Clean ears," she then pulled aside his cheeks and hummed to herself.

"Hmm, teeth could use better cleaning. But otherwise a healthy boy!" she cheerfully declared before releasing him, and Carlous held onto Anna again.

"So, what's the little guy's name?" asked a troll below her. Carolus looked down and meekly replied with,

"Carolus."

"Aww! He's so cute!" Bulda cooed. Anna chuckled as Kristoff cleared his throat.

"Uh, guys. W-Where's Grand Pabbie?" he asked. Just when he asks this, there was another rolling sound, and the other trolls stepped back, revealing another rocking rolling forward, stopping just in front of them before uncurling, revealing an elderly troll.

"I sense an unusual magical presence. What has happened with you two this time?" he asked as he looked at the two. Kristoff and Anna looked at one another before the latter stepped forward.

"Hi, Pabbie. We just...well, yesterday, I've adopted this boy here. His name's Carolus. Say 'Hi', Carolus." she said as she gestured her head towards Grand Pabbie. Carolus simply waved at him.

"Hello." he replied, making Bulda and some of the others gush. Anna then continued,

"However, there's something...different, about him. He has fire powers."

The trolls perked their heads in intrigue, and Kristoff then stepped in.

"Problem is: he doesn't have much control, and by accident...well, burned down his old home." he explained, wincing as he imagined Carolus frowning. He was, but he was also nodding as well. Grand Pabbie nodded in understanding.

"I see...it reminds me of Elsa in a way." he muttered to himself. Anna then knelt.

"We want to know where he got his powers, hoping that it might help us understand him more, as well as prevent a repeat of both the burning of his old hometown and almost burning down Arendelle." she said. The trolls widened their eyes in surprise. However, Grand Pabbie remained collected as he approached them.

"Carolus, young one. May I please hold your hands?" he asked. Uncertain, Carolus hummed for a moment.

"Can I keep the gloves on?" he asked. Grand Pabbie nodded.

"Of course." he replied. This puts Carolus at ease, and he eventually complied, reaching his hands out. Pabbie gently took them in and closed his eyes to feel the magic inside.

After a while, Pabbie felt himself shivering for a moment as he gritted his teeth. Carolus frowned in concern, before Pabbie gasped to himself, pulling back.

"Oh...Oh lord..." he said. Kristoff approached him in concern while Anna held Carolus.

"Grand Pabbie, are you alright?!" he asked. Pabbie placed his hand on his chest.

"I...I don't believe it. I never thought I would see _him_ again." he said with a rare tone of horror in his voice. This frightened everyone, as they had never seen Pabbie frightened to THIS extent. Anna gently sets down Carolus as she approached Pabbie with concern.

"What's wrong, Grand Pabbie? Who is this 'him'?" she asked. Pabbie cleared his throat as he gulped, looking at her with fright.

"S-Surtur." he said, and the other trolls stepped back in fright. Anna, Kristoff, and Carolus looked at one another in confusion. Pabbie noticed this and gestured them to follow.

"Come. You all deserve to know this. Especially you, young one." he said, referring to Carolus. Carolus looked on in confusion as they followed him. Carolus looked at the other trolls and they looked at him in pity or concern. Gulping to himself, he turned his head to look ahead.

The four then walked inside of a small cave entrance leading to a room with small crystal hung from the ceiling. The room has small rugs and a small crater with smoke snaking out. Pabbie approached one end of the crater while gesturing Anna, Kristoff, and Carolus to sit on the other end. With a small sigh, Pabbie then began to speak.

"Now...do any of you know of Ragnarök?" he asked. They raised their brows.

"Ragnarök? I've read about it, but...I thought it was a myth." she said. Pabbie sighed as he shook his head.

"No. Ragnarök was an actual cataclysm of the cosmos thousands of years ago. It was a war that ended the lives of MANY gods as well as most life on the planet." he explained. Anna and Carolus looked at one another.

"Wait...if it's true, then...what does this have to do with my son and his powers?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Pabbie then raised his hands up as more smoke raised upwards.

"For you to understand how he got it, we must take a look at what happened with Sutr and how he might have survived for him to be inside Carolus." he explained as we now see, thanks to the smoke, what had happened.

The smoke reveals more detailed images of giants fighting with one another. Some were giant creatures, and others were simply giant humans.

"The battle between gods ravaged the cosmos after an Eternal Winter struck the Earth for three years. However, few of them are as feared as the Fire Giant, Surtr!" he declared as another image reveals a giant man with a fiery sword. Carolus shivered as he whimpered.

"T-That's the man I saw!" he said. Anna held him closer to her as the images showed Surtr swinging his sword, ravaging the land in a blaze, setting millions on fire. Another shows Surtr surrounded by his millions of minions, some humanoid, some beastly, marching across the land as Surtr swung his sword towards his opponent.

"Surtr was a forced to be reckoned with. However, he was destined to fight and be slayed by another god, named Freyr." Pabbie explained as another god, a man with long hair and a long beard with a sword of his own. The two unleashed battle-roars as they clashed their swords against one another.

"It was a long battle, but Sutr eventually lost. However, he was not slain as mythology says." Pabbie then declared as the image shows Surtr being pulled into a set of ruins by Freyr and a select few other creatures. Anna, Kristoff, and Carolus watched in shock as Pabbie finished with.

"He was too powerful, so Freyr had to sacrifice most of his remaining energy to seal him up before dying."

The images soon disappeared, and Anna and Kristoff took time to process what has happened. Carolus, on the other hand, was looking down in shame as something came flooding back.

"Oh gosh...wait, so...how did...Carolus?" asked Anna as she turned to look at him, seeing him frowning.

"I...I remember something now." he said. Anna, Kristoff, and Pabbie looked at him, and the former gently grasped his hand.

"You remember how you got your powers?" she asked. Carolus shrugged.

"Now 'how'. But 'when' 'where' and 'why'." he replied. Then, he looked up and explained. What he said sparked shock from Pabbie and Kristoff, and sheer shock and guilt from Anna. She internally hoped that Elsa would take this news well...

* * *

Meanwhile, Elsa is having a meeting with shocking revelations of her own...

The orphanage was in a bright mood today, despite the incident earlier. In fact, the mood is even brighter ever since Carolus has left. All the kids were happy to play with one another since they wouldn't have to worry about getting their toys or themselves burned.

Miss Bonita was in the yard, watching over the children. The middle-aged woman had a peaceful smile on her face. To her, it was wonderful to see the children free from any fear from the fire, which has increased since the incident from earlier. However, given the lack of damage in the property, the flames seemed to have not reached the place, and when the flames did die down, everyone celebrated.

However, the celebration would not last for long.

As Miss Bonita watched over the children, she heard one of the little girls cry out,

"It's Elsa! She's here!"

Miss Bonita turned the direction of the little girl, and she noticed other kids flocking over to the entrance. She chuckled as she approached them to greet Elsa, but once she sees Elsa, she notices that something is off with her. Elsa didn't appear to be in a happy mood...in fact, she looks a bit mad.

Once she got to the entrance, the children looked at her, initially excited, before they frowned at seeing her expression.

"Um, Elsa? Hi, there!" Miss Bonita greeted as she opened the gate and allowed Elsa inside. Elsa nodded.

"Greetings, Miss Bonita. I am unfortunately NOT here to have fun with the kids." she explained as she walked inside. Then, she turned to look at her with a stern look. "I'm actually here to talk to you about Carolus." she explained. The other kids paled at this, and Miss Bonita raised her brows.

"U-Um, sure. Do you want to talk inside?" she asked, pointing to the door. Elsa nodded before she looked over her shoulders.

"Gale, Bruni, Nokk," she began, and the fire and wind spirit came over to her. "Have fun with the kids. I might be a while." she ordered. Bruni and Gale chirped in delight as they crawled down. The kids grew excited as they moved out of the way to play with the elemental spirits. Elsa smiled for a moment before she turned to look at Miss Bonita.

"Okay, then. Shall we head inside?" she asked. Miss Bonita nodded as she guided the fifth spirit towards the building.

Once they got inside, Miss Bonita guided Elsa towards the office and gestured her to sit down. Then, their meeting began.

"So, Elsa...w-what is it about Carolus that you wanted to discuss? Is it about the incident from earlier?" she asked. Elsa nodded.

"Sort of. It's more about when and how he got here, and more importantly, how you all have been treating him and _**why**_." she explained. Miss Bonita raised her brows and gave a fake smile.

"W-What? I-I've been treating Carolus fine!" she said. Elsa, however, could see through her lies.

"From what my sister tells me, I beg to differ." she seethed, before taking a deep breath and sighing. "But I won't get into that for now. Firstly, when and how did he get here?" she asked. Miss Bonita cleared her throat as she fixed her position.

"W-Well, he first came here sometime after the Eternal Winter." she said as we are treated to a flashback.

* * *

_*Flashback*_

_Miss Bonita was looking at the clouds as Elsa's ice sparks spread outwards before disappearing into the skies. She was relieved as she began to remove her winter clothes. The other children were inside, happy to see that the crisis is over._

" _ **I was outside the building when the snow started receding. That was when he arrived."**_ _Miss Bonita's voice said as we see the past version of Miss Bonita hearing a child's deep breathing sound. She turned around to see a four-year-old boy wrapping his arms and rubbing them with his hands to keep himself warm. He was looking up at the sky, apparently stunned that the snow had disappeared. Miss Bonita turned to look at him with confusion, and the two of them looked at one another._

_Then, we see Miss Bonita helping Carolus with his bath. The two of them looked at one another, smiling as she cleaned him up. We then get to see Carolus asking Miss Bonita for something, him sharing toys with other kids, as well as apologizing to someone for hitting them too hard._

" _ **I took him in, and for the first few weeks, things were amazing between us. He was...er, IS a well-behaved child: always asking nicely, letting other kids share, and overall a polite little man. Things, however, took a dark turn when I found out about his powers."**_ _Miss Bonita stated as we see Miss Bonita walking into Carolus's personal room and was shocked to see Carolus trying to create something with his fire powers. Carolus then stopped and gasped as he saw Miss Bonita. Then, he began to panic, and Miss Bonita tried to calm him down._

" _ **Once I was able to get him to calm down, he told me that he wasn't exactly sure how he got his powers, only that it happened because of the Eternal Winter, and that his people were freezing. So, he tries to warm the place up, and accidentally burned it down, creating some beasts...I'm not sure what they are, and I hope I don't have to see them. Anyways, after he told me, I told him that for his safety, it might be best if he were to keep it a secret."**_ _Miss Bonita's voice said as the two talked. "That is, until an accident."_

_The accident she referred to happened one day when Carolus was playing with the other kids during one summer day. Then, he accidentally tripped onto a field of flowers. He got up, and thanks to the pollen, he sneezed. To everyone's horror, fire bursts out from his hands and sets the nearby flowers and some of the toys ablaze. The kids were horrified, and Miss Bonita had to put out the flames while Carolus ran to his room, accidentally setting his footsteps aflame as well._

" _ **Since then, Carolus lost the trust of the children, and only had me as someone to confide to. Of course, being a curious one he is, he tries to control his fire powers, but I feared what would happen if he did lose control. So, I not only gave him gloves to hide them, but also chastised him, sometimes harshly I'll admit, but it had to be done."**_ _Miss Bonita said as we now seeing a crying Carolus wiping himself with Miss Bonita shaking her head in shame._

" _ **It broke my heart..."**_ _Miss Bonita said as the flashback ends._

_*Flashback ends*_

* * *

Elsa stared at her, mixed feeling welling up inside of her. She was stunned of the circumstances leading to Carolus's condition today, a bit furious at the methods Miss Bonita used...

But most of all...guilt. Carolus apparently received this power to keep his people warm during the Eternal Winter. _**She**_ was responsible for this, and because of that... _ **she**_ was responsible for the mental anguish Miss Bonita instilled within him. Elsa covered her mouth, as Miss Bonita gulped.

"I didn't want to do or say such horrible things to him...I hope you can at least understand why I did it." she whimpered. Elsa looked at her, and asked,

"Then why didn't you take him to us? I could've helped him. He wouldn't be afraid of his powers...he wouldn't be hating himself for it."

"Because I was afraid of how the public would react. Sure, they've suffered through the Eternal Winter, but...well, you saw what happened earlier today. Even though fire and ice can be just as dangerous, that's NOT the conception the public believes. YOU can make a snowman. What could HE make?" she asked. Elsa listened to her concerns and pondered to herself.

" _It's true that people are more afraid of fire than ice, but..."_ she thought to herself, biting her lower lip. Then, she remembered earlier about how Anna was trying to calm the public down. When she was seeing the crowd, she could see that while many of them are fearful of Carolus, many others are looking with sympathy. That did give her a small sense of hope and relief. However, it wasn't enough.

Despite this, she shook her head, hope remaining in her mind.

"It doesn't matter." she said. Miss Bonita perked her head up at this, and Elsa turned to look at her. "You might have a point about Carolus's powers being more dangerous, compared to mine. However, when it comes to Carolus himself...I've only met him for a few hours, and I already know that he's just an innocent child, lost and hurt in a world whom he thinks wants to kill him. Just like me." she said, frowning at the last part for a moment. Miss Bonita sighed at this, not in annoyance, but in understanding.

"While I do understand why you did it, and if I were in **your** shoes, I probably would've done the same. However, that doesn't change the fact that what you did is not only morally WRONG, but it is also a CRIME." she said, eyes narrowing.

"And I take full responsibility for that." Miss Bonita declared. Elsa was taken aback by this as Miss Bonita lowered her head in shame. "While I felt that it was necessary for the time, I still hold regret for such a thing. If you wish to have me arrested, I won't stop you." she said, wiping her eyes. Elsa stared at her and pondered for a moment. Seeing Miss Bonita taking responsibility for her actions, and hearing regret in her voice made her sigh through her nose as she contemplates her decision.

Then, she remembered how her parents had her and Anna locked up inside the castle the whole time. Sure, they assured her that everything will be fine, but ever since she saw the vision Grand Pabbie gave her, it ended up toying with her mind for the duration of them being locked-up. It turned out it wasn't needed in the end, but...Miss Bonita didn't know this, perhaps.

Her ears then picked up the sound of the children laughing happily as they played with the spirits outside. She frowned, knowing that if she were to bring her in, the children would probably be without a place for them to stay. With a gulp,

"No. I won't do that." she said, shaking her head. Miss Bonita looked up as she grew shocked. Elsa stared at her in pity as she approached.

"I realize that, while your methods are cruel, you are still a good woman at heart. After all, you are taking responsibility for your actions. That is pretty noble of you to do. Plus, my parents did something similar, as you already know, so I now understand more clearly now." she explained, handing her over a handkerchief. Miss Bonita took it with gratitude as Elsa looked down.

"Now, due to these reasons, plus the fact that the children are still in need of your care, I won't report you." she said. Miss Bonita, after a moment of shock, sighed in relief before Elsa placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "However, this is not to be taken lightly. I'm giving you an opportunity to make amends for your future. Do NOT make me regret this decision." she said with a stern tone. Miss Bonita nodded, slightly frantically.

"Understood, ma'am." she said. Elsa nodded, and after wishing her farewell, walked out of the room. Then, when she was alone, her thoughts came back to Carolus, and how the Eternal Winter forced the situation at hand...perhaps against his will. The sheer thought saddens and horrifies her.

Now, all the guilt she had buried after undoing the Eternal Winter came flooding back, and she had to sit in a nearby chair, as she covered her face before beginning to cry. She mentally scolded herself, now wishing more than ever that she could undo what had happened, even though she knew that it would be an impossibility. She had been so focused on keeping Anna away from her that she never once took the time to think about how others would be affected by this. Sure, she knew the long-term effects, such as crop failure and global cooling, but...she really should've thought that it would impact people's lives in the short run.

"I'm sorry, Carolus. I'm so sorry...please forgive me..." Elsa whimpered as tears began streaming down. Her whimpers and cries went unnoticed as she sat there, all alone and with her thoughts...

* * *

**AN: Hey, everyone! superkoola here!**

**Another chapter of this underway. I will admit, I do have a bit of a concern on whether I made this too long. I have considered splitting it into two parts, but I decided against it. After all, I'm sure many of you are a bit anxious to hear about this.**

**Anyways...so yeah, the revelations. For now, I'll explain why I put in the part where Elsa's Eternal Winter was the cause for Carolus's condition. Well, I've had this idea as I was writing the story on how her Eternal Winter can affect others. We've seen it in Arendelle, but what about in other parts of Norway, and the other parts of the planet? What about some other poor village struggling to make a living? So, I decided to implement this on that...which will also add to why Carolus would fear Elsa.**

**Aside from that [for now], I think that's all I have to say for now!**

**I hope you enjoy it, please be respectful if you didn't, give out any criticisms if you have any, and stick around for more!**


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